An Unexpected Guest
by Satsuriku-Sama
Summary: Thorin is sceptical of Gandalf's choice in the new members of his company. He could adapt to the Hobbit easily enough, but the woman, who claims to be a sellsword, of all things, is slowly driving him mad. Though not necessarily in a bad way.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note:_

_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, it has helped me through writer's block and other nasty obstacles, I love you all so much!_

_I am now uploading the reviewed version, and when the last movie comes out I will finally get on with this story, then upload a LotR sequel I am already working on. I have read the book and watched the 1977 cartoon, and (SPOILER ALERT) I know how Tolkien intended for everything to end. Fuck you, by the way, good sir. Anyway, this fanfiction is based on the movie verse, and is, as the name suggests, a fiction written by a fan._

_Not much has changed since the original version, mostly small details for my fellow perfectionists and a few other kinks I worked out. So enjoy, and feel free to keep giving me constructive criticism._

* * *

Stepping over the invisible borderlines of Hobbiton, she sighed. It had been a while since she had seen her old friend Bilbo, and though she knew he did not like unexpected company, she could not pass the opportunity to visit him, her being so near the Shire. Making her way through the well known road, she tried to relax her muscles. It always took a few hours after a job for her to unwind, and the prospect of one of Bilbo's hot, soothing mugs of tea made her quicken her pace. She inspected herself. Well worn boots were silent on the road, her form fitting trousers tucked inside the leather over her knees. Her loose shirt was stained with the result of her latest mission. She cursed silently for choosing such a light colour to wear. She knew the sight of blood on her clothes made Bilbo cringe, but he was used to seeing her like this. Her light pack was filled with only the essentials, even lighter than before, recently having lost her cloak. She ignored her shivers, letting the chilly breeze of the night soothe her as she neared the Hobbit hole.

A slight frown crept over her forehead as she neared the round door. She noticed it had been painted green, over its previous dark varnished wood. Also, a familiar mark was on the bottom. Her head snapped up as she heard loud laughter. That was so very unlike Bilbo, to have loud guests. She made her way up the steps and knocked on the door, raising her eyebrows in surprise as it was wrenched open by a very distressed looking Bilbo.

"I am not letting any more Dwarves inside my—oh, Ruby. It's you." He quickly noticed the stain on her sleeve, but as usual, did his best to ignore it.

"Is this a bad time?" She asked amusedly.

"No, no, please, come in." Bilbo stepped to the side. "Watch your head." he joked, as he always did when she visited him. Even though he was a Hobbit, and a head shorter than her, he often made fun of her height, being considered one of the 'tall folk' in Hobbit's eyes. Still, she didn't need to duck her head to comfortably walk around his house. She narrowed her eyes playfully at him and entered the cosy hole to find it full of Dwarves. She looked questioningly at Bilbo, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as he ran off towards one of them.

"Those are my plates! Excuse me! Not my wine. Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please! ...Excuse me." He shouted in vain. A large Dwarf was currently walking out of the pantry with three entire wheels of cheese. "Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?"

"Cheese knife? He eats it by the block." Another answered.

As Bilbo argued over his antique chairs, books and maps, Ruby silently made her way to the dining room, where the Dwarves seemed to have pushed tables together. In the hallway, she met yet another old friend.

"Gandalf, the grey." She called.

"Ruby, what a lovely surprise!" the Wizard was hunched over to avoid hitting his head. "What brings you here?" his eyes snapped to her shirt, and she once again scolded herself for not wearing a darker colour.

"I was nearby, working. You?" she watched as Gandalf studied her closely. He had many times voiced his distaste for her choice of trade, but oddly enough, he seemed to be studying her in a new light. Nodding, as if making up his mind, he answered.

"Adventure. I believe you will be interested as well." He replied excitedly. Of course she would be. Gandalf knew she would join them. Fate had a hand in this, he knew.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf, can I tempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?" a Dwarf called the taller man's attention.

"Oh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine for me, I think. How about you, Ruby?" they both turned to her.

"I'll take that tea, thank you." She took the cup from the Dwarf with a grateful nod.

Standing with her back to the wall, and away from the hectic movement in the middle of the hall, she watched as the Dwarves tore poor Bilbo's home apart. She was trying very hard to remain calm, her nerves not yet cooled from this afternoon's mission. She saw Gandalf walk out of the dining room, trying to avoid the scurrying Dwarves. He hit his head on the chandelier, making her grin lightly, then began counting the Dwarves on his fingers.

"Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin," he said, as they walked past him. "Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori...Ori." Ruby tried to remember which name went with which face, but it was too much for her.

She saw Bilbo wrestle a bowl of tomatoes away from Nori. Ruby mused at the Dwarf with an axe in his head, who approached Gandalf and talked to him in what seemed to be Khuzdul.

"Yes, you're quite right, Bifur. We appear to be one Dwarf short." Gandalf answered.

"He is late, is all. He travelled North to a meeting of our kin. He will come." Another commented. He glanced at Ruby and nodded politely. "Dwalin, at your service." She raised her teacup in greeting, to which he clunked his wooden ale tankard as softly as a Dwarf could, resulting in the delicate china breaking in her hand. The hot liquid poured over her fingers and on the rug. "Oops, sorry lass!" he dabbed at her hand with the hem of his sleeve. "Are you hurt?" he motioned to her sleeve.

"No harm done, I'm fine." She waved him away with a polite smile.

"Mr. Gandalf?" Dori returned. "A little glass of red wine, as requested. It's, eh, got a fruity bouquet. Miss, I have taken the liberty to brew you another cup."

"How thoughtful of you, er...?" Ruby accepted the delicate china.

"Dori, at your service." He bowed as well as he could with a tray in his hands. "I hope you did not hurt yourself, miss." He eyed her sleeve.

"Just call me Ruby." She glanced at both Dwarves. "Thank you for your concern, Dori, but I'm not hurt." She sipped her tea, ignoring the glances to her sleeve. "The tea is perfect, Dori. Thank you." She snapped him out of his staring and he gave Gandalf his wine.

"Ah, Cheers." He clinked the tiny glass with Ruby's tea and drank it in one gulp. Looking sadly at the cup, he was torn from his wish of a little more by a snicker from the woman. "Mm." He grunted. "Are you quite alright?" he asked.

"I'm just a little...winded...from my last errand." She phrased her words carefully as the Dwarves walked past them. Gandalf nodded, understanding. "I was hoping for some tea," she held her cup up. "and some old toby." She produced a pipe from her small pack. "Which I will now procure." She padded off to find Bilbo, who pointed to a jar on the mantelpiece at seeing her pipe in her hand. She stuffed her pipe slowly and carefully, as she watched the Dwarves along with Bilbo. "Mind telling me what is going on?" she asked lowly and listened to him rant. The poor Hobbit needed to get used to company, he was turning into a shut-in.

Everyone began throwing food around, and Bilbo walked away in disgust, Ruby trailing behind him, adjusting the tobacco leaves in her pipe. He looked at his pantry in shock. It had been entirely cleared of food. Looking behind her, she saw a young Dwarf walk on top of the table, carrying several cups of ale and knocking aside the food in his way.

"Who wants an ale? There you go."

"Let him have another drink!"

"Here you go."

One Dwarf poured his ale into another's hearing trumpet, and as he spluttered in anger, everyone else laughed. Putting his hearing trumpet to his mouth and blowing the ale out of it, it squealed. One of the Dwarves yelled, "On the count of three!" and the Dwarves pound their tankards together. Someone else counted, "One! Two!" Then all the Dwarves went quiet and began drinking their ale together. Ale fell all over their faces and ran down their beards. A burping competition had Ruby chuckling at Bilbo's disgusted state.

"Excuse me." She wondered about the Dwarves and Wizard in her friend's home, but right now she needed to calm herself before one of their rash movements triggered something involuntary in her. She made her way out of the house and climbed nimbly up the wall to rest on the grass covered roof, her back leaning against the warm chimney and listening to the racket in the house. Flicking her wrist, a small flame appeared on the tip of her finger, a trick she had learned from Gandalf. Lighting the pipe, she puffed and closed her eyes.

'_Bilbo is going to have a lot to clean up_.' She thought, puffing on thick white smoke.

"Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" she heard said Hobbit.

"But it's full of holes!" a smile crept on her lips.

"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet."

She kept listening to their bickering, her nerves considerably calmer, as they began a merry tune.

"_Blunt the knives, bend the forks_

_Smash the bottles and burn the corks_

_Chip the glasses and crack the plates_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

_Cut the cloth and tread on the fat_

_Leave the bones on the bedroom mat_

_Pour the milk on the pantry floor_

_Splash the wine on every door_

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl_

_Pound them up with a thumping pole_

_When you've finished, if any are whole_

_Send them down the hall to roll_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates_!"

Ruby listened as she saw a figure approach down the road. As it came closer, she recognized it as another Dwarf. He stopped in the middle of the steps and looked up to her. He seemed tense. Her response was a simple puff. He saw the embers on her pipe light up her face, a red glint to her eyes. Still keeping his eyes on her, he reached the door and pounded it three times. The door opened and he saw the Wizard.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." He ignored the snicker from the roof. "Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo was outraged.

"There is a mark, I put it there myself." Gandalf said, then raised his voice. "Ruby, my dear, come down." Thorin looked up to see the woman sliding down the edge of the roof and landing lightly on her feet next to him. She looked up at him and met his icy blue gaze easily with her own fiery chestnut and walked past him into the house. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf continued, satisfied that the woman was considerably calmer.

"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" Thorin shed his cloak.

"Pardon me?" Bilbo watched the Dwarf scrutinize him.

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I have some skill at conquers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant." He smiled at himself.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Thorin jested. After the laughing died down he turned to the silent woman. "And you are?" He studied the stain on her arm.

"Not impressed." She looked him up and down, much like he had done with Bilbo.

"Be nice, Ruby." Gandalf frowned at her.

"Nice..." She muttered lowly, subduing a snort in her throat.

Choosing to deal with her later, the Wizard led the company back to the dining table. As Thorin ate, the rest talked to him.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked.

"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin answered between spoonfuls.

Ruby listened to them as she slowly padded towards the dining room, just as Gandalf was saying:

"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak." He spread a map on the table.

"The Lonely Mountain." Bilbo read.

"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time." Gloin affirmed.

Oin nodded. "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

"Uh, What beast?" Bilbo sounded concerned. Ruby crossed her arms and leaned on the doorframe, eyeing Gandalf. The Wizard took in her appearance. Her boots had seen better days, leather trousers were scuffed and old, and her loose white shirt had an ugly reddish-brown stain. Gandalf raised his eyes to her face. They spoke silently as the others conversed.

"What are you up to now, old Wizard?" she murmured.

"I could ask you the same." He looked pointedly at the stain on her shirt. Thorin was close enough to hear and turned his head to inspect the woman himself. She chuckled and trained her gaze on the Dwarf leader.

"Interesting company you keep nowadays, Gandalf." He said.

"Indeed." He puffed at his pipe as he watched the two stare at each other.

"And you forget, we have a Wizard in our company." Kili was saying. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of Dragons in his time."

"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I—"

"How many, then?" Dori quipped.

"Uh, what?"

"Well, how many Dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

"Hm." Gandalf embarrassedly started coughing on his pipe smoke as the Dwarves jumped to their feet, arguing about the number of Dragons Gandalf had killed. Ruby laughed quietly in her corner, earning a glare from the Wizard.

"_Atkât_!" Thorin stood and bellowed, silencing the others. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The Dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? _Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr_!" he sat back down as the other Dwarves cheered.

"You forget. The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain." Balin said.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Twiddling his fingers, Gandalf produced a Dwarvish key, ornately wrought. Thorin looked at it in wonder.

"How came you by this?" he asked.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf handed the key to Thorin.

"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fili said in wonder.

Gandalf pointed at some runes on the map with his pipe as Ruby rolled her eyes.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

"There's another way in!" Kili said excitedly.

"Well, if we can find it, but Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gandalf explained. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

"That's why we need a burglar." Ori looked to Bilbo.

"Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine."

"And are you?"Gloin challenged. Ruby looked at Bilbo, who seemed slow to comprehend the question.

"Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert!" Oin laughed along with the others. Even Ruby let out a dry laugh.

"M—Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life." The Hobbit defended himself. "Unlike some." He glared at the grinning woman.

"One of the lesser evils, don't you think?" she was aware of the other Dwarves taking her in now that all was calmer.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Balin studied the woman next to the Halfling.

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin agreed.

"Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." Gandalf's voice thundered and the room became temporarily darker, silencing the Dwarves. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet." He went back to his normal self. "In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the Dragon is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf, the scent of Hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Thorin turned to Ruby. "What of her?"

"Yes, what of me?" Ruby raised her eyebrows at Gandalf. The Wizard could see a glint in her eyes he knew all too well.

"Ruby is..." he started carefully. '_Complicated_', he finished in his mind. He knew her for centuries, and knew she was capable of this journey, but also of the danger of keeping her close.

"I'm a sellsword." She stated simply.

"You?" Thorin sized her up, disbelievingly, eyeing the stain on her shirt. After looking briefly at Gandalf, he made up his mind. "Very well. We will do it your way." He said to the Wizard. "Give them a contract" he ordered Balin, ignoring Bilbo's protests.

"It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses," The white bearded Dwarf was saying. "time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth." He handed them both a roll of parchment.

"Funeral arrangements?" As Bilbo stepped back a few feet to read the contract, Thorin leaned toward Gandalf and whispered to him.

"I cannot guarantee their safety."

"Understood." Gandalf tried not to show his pleasure with his victory. Ruby watched them, the roll of parchment forgotten in her hand. She had signed more of these than she could count.

"Nor will I be responsible for their fate." The Dwarf continued.

"Agreed." This time, Gandalf was serious.

Bilbo was reading parts of the contract out loud as Ruby stood in the same position, eyeing Thorin, who stood in the doorway.

"What?" he asked as the others talked to Bilbo.

"I'm deciding whether you're worth my services." She mused.

"I think you're giving yourself too much credit, woman." He frowned.

"Don't judge me too quickly, master Dwarf." She signed the contract and rolled it up.

"You don't even have a weapon." He crossed his arms.

"That you can see." She grinned at him as his eyes roamed her form, trying in vain to find the sharp outline of a weapon, but only seeing soft curves.

"Hmmm. Nope." They watched the Hobbit faint and tumble to the floor.

"A sellsword without a sword." He raised an eyebrow as Bilbo was carried away. "The things I have to deal with..."

Ruby merely smirked at him and turned, making her way to the living room. The two brothers approached her.

"Hello. Ruby, is it?" One of them said.

"Hello." She answered politely.

"Fili." The lighter haired one said.

"And Kili." The other added.

"At your service." She watched as they bowed.

"Really?" she raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Foolish boys." Ruby recognized the bald Dwarf as Dwalin. "You don't say that to a sellsword." He cuffed them on their heads. "No offense." He turned to Ruby.

"None taken." Ruby laughed. "You seem at ease accepting my trade."

"Aye, I have seen enough to not find a woman being a sellsword strange." He nodded. "Not that it isn't." They shared a laugh.

"May we ask—" Kili started, pointing at the stain on her shirt.

"It's not a pretty tale." She interrupted.

"You seem...different." Dwalin changed the subject, remembering his encounter with her earlier in the hallway.

"My line of work often leaves me...winded." Ruby explained. Dwalin nodded in understanding. "Excuse me, I have to find a fresh shirt somewhere..." The bald Dwarf and the two brothers watched her wander off to one of the many rooms in the house.

"An interesting addition to the company." Dwalin mused, as the younger Dwarves nodded.

* * *

"It appears we have lost our burglar." Balin said, watching Bilbo disappear down the hall. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."

"There are a few warriors amongst us." Thorin smiled at his friend.

"Old warriors." The Dwarf nodded.

"I will take each and every one of these Dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." Thorin looked around the living room at his Dwarves.

"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me." Thorin fingered the key "They dreamt of the day when the Dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

* * *

"_Far over the misty mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns old_

_We must away ere break of day_

_To find our long-forgotten gold_

_The pines were roaring on the height_

_The winds were moaning in the night_

_The fire was red, it flaming spread_

_The trees like tOrches blazed with light_"

Ruby listened as she re-entered the living room, lacing up the collar of her (Bilbo's) fresh shirt, her old one balled under her arm. It seemed she had chosen well, signing that contract. Many times she had worked for petty reasons, but she needed the coin. She tossed the old shirt in the bin and made her way to one of the free armchairs near the fire. Sitting down and throwing her legs over one arm of the chair, she crossed her arms and snuggled into the softness, savouring it and the heat from the fire against her back while she could. She knew from experience that the road was hard, rough and cold.

"Ruby." She turned her head to see the Dwarves were settling down for the night. Thorin stood next to her. "Take the sofa." He said gruffly.

"Why? I'm fine here." She tried her best to be polite and not answer in the same tone he used with her.

"Sellsword or not, I know how to treat a lady, and she should have the most comfortable at our disposal." He pointed to the fluffy furniture again.

"Me? A lady?" Ruby threw her head back and laughed loudly. "What are you going to do, carry me around on a perfumed cushion the whole trip?" she wiped some moisture from the corner of her eye. "Let me enjoy the fire if you're so adamant about my comfort." She ignored Thorin's glare and snuggled back to the position she was before and listened to the fire cracking. A soft thump was heard and she opened her eyes again to see Fili and Kili spreading spare cushions on the floor in front of her chair as makeshift beds. They lay with their heads close to her and looked at her upside-down.

"Good night, my lady!" Kili teased.

"Sleep well, my lady!" Fili added.

"Sweet dreams, princes." Ruby ignored Thorin's annoyed grunt as he was made fun of and angrily turned on the couch so that his back was to them.

"We are princes, you know." Fili grinned.

"Really? How so?" she asked.

"Thorin is our uncle." Kili explained.

Said uncle made loud and rude shushing noises at them. Reaching down, Ruby snatched one of the cushions from under Fili's blond head and threw it at Thorin. When he looked back at their snickering, she quickly pointed at Fili.

"What? No!" he argued, then grinned as he saw the cushion fly back to Ruby, but she caught it before it hit her. Dropping it back to him she bid the brothers good night again and closed her eyes.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Atkât! - Silence!_

_Du Bekâr! - To arms!_


	2. Chapter 2

Thorin was the first to wake, as always. The sun's first rays were just beginning to peek over the horizon. The late night they had had barely gave them enough hours of sleep, but a cosy home was more than they could wish for these past days. He stretched and groaned, then called out to his companions quietly, so as not to wake their host. He couldn't care less if the Hobbit came along. The company rose, satisfied with their warm, dry and safe night of sleep, however short it was. Bombur immediately shuffled to the kitchen to get breakfast started, and Thorin followed.

Fili and Kili started putting the cushions in place and the others gathered their things. Shifting his gaze, Kili watched their new companion. Ruby was still asleep, a deep frown on her face and a sheen of sweat on her brow. Her breathing was heavier than usual for someone who should be sleeping soundly, her fingers gripping her own shirt tightly. He came closer and touched her shin, calling her name.

With a strong jerk, her head snapped up, eyes wide and alarmed. She yanked her legs back and stood on the armchair, two daggers in her hands, one held low behind her, the other pointed at the Dwarf.

"Whoa, hey, it's just me." Kili raised his hands and stepped back.

"Oh, gods, don't startle me like that." She lowered her weapons and stepped down from the chair.

"Are you alright?" Fili stood by his brother.

"I'm fine." Ruby said stiffly. At their disbelieving looks, she sighed and rubbed her face. "Really, I'm fine, it was just a nightmare." She made her way to the kitchen, where the smell of bacon was wafting from.

"Good mornin', lass. Did you sleep well?" a Dwarf with a funny hat handed her a plate. She accepted the food and smiled at him.

"Good morning, uh...Bofur?" she picked up a slice of bacon.

"Aye, you'll fit in in no time!" he grinned back and handed two more plates to the two brothers who came in behind her.

"Rub—" Kili started.

"I'm fine." She cut him off, annoyance in her voice. "I apologize for my reaction, I'm not used to being awoken by others."

"What happened?" Thorin eyed them warily.

"Kili nearly got his fingers cut off!" Fili snickered into his bread.

"What?" Thorin turned his glare to Ruby.

"Nonsense." She waved the angry Dwarf away. "He just startled me, is all."

"You should get used to sleeping in a group from now on." He warned her and turned away to sit at the table. He understood her reaction in company of strangers, but the safety of his Company was still his priority.

"Don't worry about him, lass." Bofur pat her shoulder.

"I don't blame him." Ruby shrugged. "I have to run down to the marketplace and get me some provisions and whatnot. A new sleeping roll, a new cloak..." she counted off on her fingers. "What else?" she looked around to find her pack on one of the chairs. Quickly searching around the bag and muttering a list to herself, the Dwarves ate and made their own mental list, bestowing Ori with the burden of going to the marketplace before they left.

"Good morning!" he called to her as they stood.

"Hello, Ori, is it?" Ruby scrunched up her nose as she tried to remember the Dwarf's name. He nodded happily and they made their way out of the Hobbit hole, making light conversation.

Thorin inspected the things Ori had bought. A new pot, some flour, dried fruits, salted meat, a spare bedroll, cloak and another pony for Ruby. She had her own new belongings strapped to the pony, and he refrained from checking them.

"Let's move." He ordered and they all mounted and set off. Right before they left Hobbiton, Gandalf appeared on his own horse and trotted next to Ruby.

"Where were you?" she asked.

"Oh, around." The Wizard answered mysteriously and rode up to talk to Thorin. Ruby chuckled and listened to the Dwarves mutter about their 'waste of time'. Ruby smirked as they bet if the Hobbit would even show up.

"Would you like in on the bet, Ruby?" Fili shook his coin purse at her. She reached down the neck of her shirt and took three gold coins, jingling them in her palm. Handing them to the Dwarf next to her, she smiled and looked forward. "Do you know something?"

"Of course not, I'm not a fortune teller, Fili. I just have a hunch."

As if on cue, Bilbo ran up from behind them.

"Wait! Wait!" he called. "I signed it!" he handed Balin the contract. Fili cursed lowly as Ruby held out her hand. He slapped six coins on her palm.

"Give him a pony." Thorin called back to them.

"No, no, no, no, that—that won't be necessary, thank you, but I—I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I—I—I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once—WAGH!" Bilbo was picked up from behind by Fili and Kili as Ruby ushered a pony under him. They laughed and exchanged bets. After a while of silence, Bilbo halted the company again.

"No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around."

"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf voiced their thoughts more delicately.

"I forgot my handkerchief."

"Here! Use this." Bofur tore a piece of his tunic and threw it at the Hobbit.

"Move on." Thorin called over the laughs of the men.

Everyone fell into comfortable conversation with each other, Fili and Kili making up the rear with Ruby between them. She was laughing at an embarrassing story Kili was telling about his brother.

"He had to walk around with a handprint on his face for days!" Kili finished.

"What about you?" Fili was still blushing.

"I am a perfect, behaved little lady." Ruby said airily. No way was she going to tell them anything embarrassing about her.

"I seem to recall otherwise." Gandalf called from the front.

"Shut up, you old bat!" Ruby tried to swerve the conversation, but the Dwarves all wanted to hear what Gandalf had to say and shushed her.

"Tell us!" Fili urged as the Wizard chuckled.

"Well, there was this one time I sent her out to collect some roots for a potion I needed." He began.

"Why?" Kili asked.

"He was my mentor for a few years. Taught me a few tricks." Ruby shrugged.

"Anyway, when she came back to the cottage we were staying in, I had left some ingredients on the table I was working on."

"Oh, gods..." Ruby rubbed her face with a grimace.

"She then proceeded to eat the rydishbeans—"

"I was hungry, I thought they were blueberries!" Ruby argued.

"Now, as we all know, rydishbeans are very poisonous and provoke strange allergic reactions." Gandalf talked over her.

"What happened to her?" Dwalin asked, amused.

"When I returned after a few hours, she was scrubbing her face over the water bucket, and wouldn't let me see what had happened. You almost gave me a heart attack, girl." He looked back at her. "When I finally forced her to turn her face at me, the colour from the rydishbeans had spread over her lips and was taking over her face quite rapidly." Ruby groaned and covered her face as the Dwarves laughed loudly. "It took me two days to find a cure, but eventually a few drops of late seed milk did the trick."

"I can't believe you sent me to town with a green face!" she accused him. "I looked like a toad!"

"Well, you learned your lesson." Gandalf smiled fondly at her. She merely grumbled.

"So," Fili said after he stopped laughing. "You were Gandalf's apprentice?"

"For a while." She ran her hand through her hair and tied the dark locks back, away from her face. "The old bat never taught me more than some parlour tricks."

"You lacked the will to learn, girl!" the Wizard called from the front of the line.

"You lacked the patience for teaching!" she called back.

Thorin looked over to Gandalf as he muttered darkly about 'exploding in my face'.

"It seems it was not coincidence that led her to Bilbo's house yesterday." He called the Wizard's attention. "Why didn't she pursue magic? It seems much safer than becoming a sellsword."

"Her story is her own to tell, master Dwarf." Gandalf answered. "And magic is not always that safe. She is very gifted in the craft, but lacks the caution. All magic comes with a price." He warned.

"Do you trust her?" Thorin asked.

"It has been years since I last saw her, and she has changed a lot. But oddly enough, I would trust her with my life." He looked back and knew she had heard him. She was laughing along with Fili and Kili, but her eyes were trained on him. She bowed her head slightly at him, then shifted her eyes to Thorin. The Dwarf locked eyes with her and she winked at him.

"I suppose she will have no problem proving her loyalty to our cause, then." He turned back to Gandalf.

"As much as I disapprove of her trade, she is an honourable mercenary. She has signed a contract and she will keep it." The Wizard said.

"I've never heard of an honourable sellsword, Gandalf." Thorin quipped. "Then again, neither of a female one. I trust you, old friend, and if you trust her, that should be enough for me."

The company camped for the night near the edge of a cliff. Most of them slept after the long day of riding, Gandalf, Fili, Kili and Ruby were gathered around the fire. A shrill sound was heard and Bilbo ran over to them.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Orcs." Kili looked up at another scream. Thorin, who was dozing by a boulder, jerked awake at the word.

"Orcs?"

"Throat-cutters." Fili explained. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." Kili whispered. Bilbo looked away in fright as the brothers looked at each other and began snickering.

"You think that's funny?" Ruby was sitting on her bedroll, her back against a rock and her pipe smoking in her hand.

"You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?" Thorin agreed, angered at the boys.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili hung his head.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin spat and walked off to the edge of the cliff, looking out over the valley. Balin walked up to Fili and Kili as Ruby stood with a grunt and went to Thorin, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin was saying to Kili. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs. After the Dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first."

Thorin looked at the hand on his shoulder and followed the arm with his eyes to find Ruby looking at him, her pipe secured between her lips.

"What?" he growled at her.

"Be nice." She scolded softly and dropped her hand, relighting her pipe with a small flame at the tip of her finger.

"The world isn't going to be nice to them." He answered, watching the small show of magic.

"You think they don't know that?" she puffed a cloud of smoke politely away from his face. "Sometimes a jest in these times is what keeps people sane."

"I need to protect my people, and jesting about serious matters is not the way. You weren't too happy about it either." He raised an eyebrow. The tobacco she had bought in Hobbiton was different from the strong Dwarvish blend, but it was not unpleasant. It was much softer than the one the Dwarves favoured, even sweeter than the usual leaves the Hobbit smoked, but it was a welcome addition to their nightly puff, the different smells swirling in white clouds around the camp and soothing them.

"No, I wasn't." She agreed. "But listen to them." Balin was retelling the Battle of Azanulbizar. "They accept you as their leader and trust you. Try showing a little gratitude."

"And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." Balin finished. Thorin turned away from the view beyond the cliff and stood by Ruby. The entire Company was awake and standing in awe, staring at him. Thorin looked at them, love and devotion clear in his eyes.

"But the pale Orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came." Thorin said. "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Ruby saw Gandalf and Balin exchange a look, but said nothing, puffing at the remains of her tobacco. After a while of silence, Kili turned to her.

"How about a song to brighten up the night, eh?"

"Oh, I can't sing." She shook her head.

"Come on, every girl can sing." He argued. Thorin looked amusedly at Ruby and saw her point her chin upwards, exposing her long neck to the firelight. A pale scar about as thick as her little finger went from her left collarbone to the back of her right ear.

"I lost my singing voice a long time ago." She said.

"Nonsense." Gandalf wagged his pipe at her. "I personally healed that, and you can sing just fine."

"What happened?" Thorin asked, looking at her neck, even as she lowered her chin back in place and turned her head to look at him.

"I believe your nephew asked for something to lighten the mood, not a sad story." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, you have the floor. Song or story." He crossed his large arms and turned to fully face her, challenging. She was shorter than him by about three inches.

"Fine." She huffed and started to walk back to her bedroll. "But then it's your turn." She looked back to see him following her and spread his own bedroll on Kili's other side. She thought for a moment, then, looking at Bilbo, who nodded encouragingly, knowing that her talent in storytelling was only matched by his own, took a deep breath and started cleaning out her pipe. "I was in Mûmakan, The Land of the Mûmakil. It is a large, hilly land best known for its myriad rivers and jungles. South of Ered Laranor, The Yellow Mountains, and north of the Haragaer, in southernmost Endor, its hot, humid climate being a tad too excessive for humans to settle." She put her clean pipe away. "Plus of course the number of Mûmakil roaming the lands."

"What were you doing so far south?" Gloin asked.

"Wanderlust." She answered simply. "Anyway, there was this one village, that insisted in staying there. They had adapted well to the climate, but not to the wildlife. So, upon discovering my trade, their leader offered a large sum for the trunk of the Mûmakil alpha male, believing the rest of the horde would leave them alone."

"Foolish." Gandalf muttered.

"As I was scouting the dense jungle," she continued, ignoring him. "I spotted the horde not too far from where I had made camp. Now, you must understand one thing." She looked at each of the Dwarves in turn. "A Mûmakil is very big and very strong, therefore, I assumed it to be slow."

"Isn't it?" Fili asked to her right. She shook her head.

"As I approached the horde just after night had fallen," she went on. "I didn't notice the alpha male patrolling. So, bold and careless as I was, I ended up hanging upside down as he held my legs with his trunk. Long story short, I managed to cut off half of the trunk, successfully releasing me. Unfortunately, I fell right on one of its six tusks." She heard a few Dwarves suck air in through their teeth, imagining the damage done to her body.

"How are you alive?" Kili wondered in awe and disbelief.

"I followed her, and pulled her bloodied form away from the horde before they could trample her." Gandalf growled. "Nearly killed myself."

"His healing powers might not be on par with the Elves', but it was enough to save me." Ruby smiled fondly at the Wizard. "It took weeks for me to move my neck, and months for me to talk."

"But you're alive, and that's what matters." Gandalf settled down on his sleeping roll.

"Why did you accept such a dangerous mission?" Dwalin asked.

"After a few decades under this old bat's wing I wanted to see if I found answers elsewhere." She nodded her head to Gandalf.

"Decades? How old are you? What answers?" Kili asked. Thorin cuffed him behind the head.

"Mind your manners." He hissed. Ruby merely laughed.

"I don't know how old I am, Kili. I have no memory from before the day Gandalf found me, and it's been...what, a millennia?" she looked to the Wizard for help.

"1069 years, this August." he said after a moment of thought.

"So it is correct to assume you're not human?" Balin asked the obvious. He watched her nod. "What are you then?"

"Those were the answers I was seeking." She looked almost shy for a moment, looking into the fire. Thorin watched Ruby's dark chestnut eyes as she stared into the fire and saw they reflected an eerie red gleam, much like they had when he saw her on Bilbo's roof. It sent shivers up his spine.

"How can someone not know their race?" Ori asked. "Surely there is someone in Middle Earth who has enough knowledge to aid you, or—"

"There isn't." She interrupted. The Dwarves understood this was a delicate subject and kept quiet. When the silence became too awkward, she turned to Thorin. "Your turn." She rested her elbows on her knees to look at him from around Kili.

"Fine, but then we turn in. I want an early start tomorrow." Thorin's deep voice filled the night air as the Dwarves settled on their bedrolls.

"_Some saw the sun_

_Some saw the smoke_

_Some heard the gun_

_Some bent the bow_

_Sometimes the wire must tense for the note_

_Caught in the fire, say oh_

_We're about to explode_

_Carry your world, I'll carry your world_

_Carry your world, I'll carry your world_

_Some far away_

_Some search for gold_

_Some Dragon to slay_

_Heaven we hope is just up the road_

_Show me the way, lord because I am about to explode._"

The Dwarves kept quiet. It struck them deep, and after a while they murmured good night to each other and each fell into their own thoughts.

"You do realize you're not carrying this burden alone, Thorin?" Ruby was propped on her elbow, looking at the dark bearded Dwarf. Kili pretended to be asleep between them. Thorin turned his blue eyes to hers and noticed the red gleam in them again.

"Your words are kind. I may have misjudged you." He admitted. "Good night, Ruby. Try not to stab anyone in the morning."

"Good night, Thorin. I won't."


	3. Chapter 3

_Extra long chapter, because I'm horrible at breaking them up. Don't judge me._

* * *

Thorin was the last to take watch, so he was awake long before the others. He sat on a higher boulder, watching his company with his pipe in his hand. When the sun started to rise, he walked around, waking everyone. When he got to Fili and Kili, they were already stirring from the noise around the campsite. Ruby had her blanket pulled over her head. Thorin stood at her feet and called her, nudging her boot with his toe. Her head shot up from under the blanket and she looked wildly around until her eyes fell on Thorin. The dagger she had raised over her body vanished under her clothes. Her hair had fallen loose from the ponytail she had put it up in yesterday, and a black strand fell across her face. Groaning, she thudded her head back down.

"Get up, we leave in ten minutes." He called loudly to all. Some Dwarves made their way to the trees while others washed their face by the stream. As he knelt by the fire to collapse the logs and put it out, he saw Ruby sit up, drag her bag close and look through it, her eyes still heavy from sleep.

"Nightmares?" he asked, watching her pull out a brush. Her sleepiness was gone from her eyes as she sat straighter.

"Yes." She answered truthfully. "Nothing I can't handle." She started working it through her hair, then took the ribbon she used to tie it up between her teeth and started to pull her tresses back.

"You should leave your hair down." Thorin remarked. He knew when to drop a subject. She looked up at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Wha—?" she mumbled around the ribbon in her mouth.

"You look nice with your hair down." He took the ribbon from her mouth and watched as she let go of said hair and let it fall down her back.

"Thank you." She stood and gathered her things. Thorin went to his own pony and hoisted himself up. He noticed he still had Ruby's ribbon in his hand and frowned in confusion. Shrugging, he figured he would give it back later and put the red strip in his pocket.

"Is it safe to come near?" Fili stepped to his pony next to Ruby's.

"You think you're so funny..." Ruby narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed.

* * *

The Company rode through a forest when it started thundering. Ruby rode next to Gandalf, both behind Thorin, talking about the old days when they were master and pupil.

"Would you not like to take up your studies again, Ruby?" Thorin looked back at her as it started to rain.

"Study takes a lot of time and dedication." She said as she grimaced up at the sky.

"You lack none, my dear." Gandalf said.

"I would have to abandon my work." She shrugged as if that were reason enough.

"You enjoy being a mercenary?" Thorin asked and slowed his pony to let it trot on Ruby's other side.

"I don't want you to think less of me, master Dwarf." Ruby answered as Gandalf seemed uncomfortable.

"How so?" he turned to see her hair slowly sticking to her face and her shirt full of wet spots.

"Don't misunderstand me when I say I kill people for a living." She started explaining. "I usually gather all the information I can about my employer and my target before I take a contract. Only then I strike."

"So you do end up killing every time?" he tried not to notice her white shirt slowly becoming transparent in the rain, the edges of a corset showing through the fabric.

"Yes." She turned to him and he quickly raised his eyes to her intense stare. "But not always the target."

Thorin let her words sink in and widened his eyes in understanding.

"I see. How very noble of you." He went on. "And why would I think less of you?"

"Have you ever looked into someone's eyes as their life force slowly fades away?" she turned her head to look back to the road, a faraway look in her dark eyes. "Listened to their breathing stop, felt their heartbeat slow?" she whispered. "Not some sloppy kill in the frenzy of a battle. That is mere self-defence and a wish for conquer. I mean a thoroughly planned, well executed plan to end a person's life. To hold that power in your hands, and know you are doing the right thing." Her eyes were now unfocused, a lazy grin over her wet face. Gandalf stretched his arm over and grabbed her Pony's reigns, as she was letting it wander.

"How do you know it is the right thing?" Thorin asked, mesmerized and a bit put off by her words. "How do you know who to kill?"

"If there is even the slightest doubt in my mind or my heart, I simply leave it be." She retook the reigns. "I'd rather go through the pain of betrayal and deceit than the burden of an innocent's death. It is always much easier to kill than to save."

"You are a wise woman, Ruby." Thorin glanced at her now sopping wet form.

"I know." She grinned at him and started rummaging in her saddlebags.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Oin!" she called down the line of riders. "Do you have my cloak? I'd rather bathe in a river, not on a damned pony!" the Dwarves all laughed and the tension of her words was gone.

"I do, but would you not rather put it on as your clothes dry by the fire when we stop?" he called back.

"Right you are, sweetie!" she turned back around and accepted her wet fate.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf." Gandalf said simply. "And it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another Wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo inquired as Dori grumbled.

"What?" Gandalf turned to the curious Hobbit.

"Other Wizards?"

"There are five of us." He explained "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards, you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"Alatar and Pallando" Ruby said. "By the distant east of Middle Earth."

"Oh, yes, right you are, dear." Gandalf nodded.

"See, wandering around has its benefits, Gandalf." She grinned cheekily at the tall Wizard.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked before Gandalf could answer.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown."

"Is he a great Wizard or is he...more like you?" Bilbo carefully chose his words. Ruby giggled at Gandalf's expression. Thorin watched her dark lips pull back to reveal straight, white teeth. Why was he watching her and not the road?

"I think he's a very great Wizard, in his own way." Gandalf was saying. "He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world." Ruby nodded in agreement.

"He also makes the best mushroom pie I have ever tasted." Thorin's eyes were drawn to her lips again as she ran her tongue over them, as if remembering the taste. "Fleshy mushrooms cooked over a warm hearth, minced with see-through caramelized onions, crispy bacon and fresh herbs, all enveloped with a thinly rolled, light, flaky, buttery crust, baked to hot, golden perfection."

"Stop it, you evil woman!" Bombur called as the other Dwarves groaned in hunger.

They tried to ignore her as she went on about the chilled spiced wine that accompanied the pie, but it was all too much, and she was barely finished describing the fresh berries with cream when a large ball of mud went flying from the back of the line, through the gap between the Dwarves, and smacked her on the back of her head, making her shriek profanities in a strange language none of the present understood. Thorin could not help but let out a loud bark of laughter.

Ruby turned her eyes to him and saw Thorin's face lighten up. His eyes crinkled at the corners and his broad smile a dazzle of white teeth against his dark, wet beard. He had a boyish kind of handsomeness that momentarily took her breath away. She would have kept staring had it not been the cold mud seeping through her hair and down her shirt. She whipped her head back and saw Fili and Kili both dismounted from their ponies, making new mudballs.

"Oh, when I find that brick you boys are going to be in trouble." She growled and stepped down from her own pony.

"Don't get lost!" Thorin called back to the three, grabbing Ruby's pony's reigns and kept leading the company.

"A brick?" Fili asked, forming the mud in his hands to a ball. "You hear that, Kili? She's afraid to get her hands dirty!"

Kili was about to respond when Ruby was a yard away. She bent her knees and threw herself at Fili, tackling him to the muddy ground. She sat on his stomach and pressed her palms to his forehead, pushing his head in the dirt.

"Let's see how your pretty blond hair looks now you little—aahh!" Kili saved his brother by grabbing her waist and holding her above his head, shielding himself from the rain.

"You're as light as a feather, Ruby!" he laughed. His fingers found hard metal and he felt around trying to count the knives sheathed around her corset. She jolted and made his grip slip, making them fall on a heap. "Are you ticklish?" he asked. Ruby tried to scramble away, but both Fili and Kili each held one ankle and dragged her back, assaulting her sides with their fingers. She shrieked and twisted in their grasp, trying to kick them off. They wrestled and threw mud at each other until the rain softened to a drizzle.

A branch snapping made them freeze, Kili face down on the floor, his cheek pressed against the mud, Ruby lying on her stomach on top of him while Fili had one of her legs in his arms. They all looked to the source of the sound. A deer poked its head over some bushes. The three slowly and quietly let go of each other, Kili drawing his bow as Fili readied his dagger. Ruby grabbed a handful of throwing knives from under her shirt. A few minutes later, Fili and Kili were carrying the meat along the road as Ruby searched the nearby plants for seasonings, mushrooms, and, if they were lucky, a potato, or even a carrot.

"There you are." Bofur called. "You all look like lake monsters." The company laughed at their state. "There's a stream nearby, go wash yourselves before you give us nightmares!"

"We brought supper, and this is how we're greeted?" Ruby put her hands on her hips and mock frowned. "I am appalled by your manners, master Dwarf!"

Thorin looked over to his nephews and Ruby. They were shoving each other and laughing. Ruby must have felt his gaze on her, for she turned her head and looked at him, a broad smile on her dirty face. Her hair was caked with mud, her shirt was barely recognizable as white and clung to her, her trousers and boots dripping wet. Still, Thorin couldn't take his eyes off her. She walked over to him and he stood frozen in his boots.

"Excuse me." She pointed behind him, where Oin was holding her clean, dry cloak. He moved and she took it from the other Dwarf with a smile. "Do I look like a lady now?" she jeered at him.

"We'll camp here for the night." He turned to his nephews. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies while Ruby goes to the stream. Give the lady her privacy." He said, smirking at her. She slapped his arm and laughed. "Then you can go. Make sure one of you stays with the ponies."

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf was muttering.

"But we're cold!" Kili whined.

"Oin, Gloin." Thorin ignored them and kept organizing their stay.

"Come on, boys." Ruby led some ponies along with the brothers to a clearing by the stream. She dug around her saddlebag and pulled out a bar of soap.

"What are you doing, Ruby?" Kili watched her toe off her boots.

"Are you shy?" she mocked him and started pulling knives and daggers from under her clothing.

"A lady doesn't bathe with men."Fili said as he watched, amazed at the quantity of weapons hidden under her clothes. His brother tied the ponies to nearby trees.

"Please, I'm the only girl in a group of males. We're bound to cross some lines of privacy!" she stepped fully clothed into the river. "Besides, the water is all murky from the rain, it's not like anything can be seen." She took off her shirt and started rubbing it when she was covered by the water up to her shoulders. The brothers looked at each other and shrugged, following her lead. Soon, all their clothing lay on the shore, as clean as they could get it and drying in the dying sun. Fili and Kili tried their best to avert their eyes from Ruby, but they were, after all, males in the company of a beautiful lady.

"Well, since we're crossing each other's boundaries," Kili swam closer to Ruby as she rubbed the soap through her hair. "What do you like in a man?"

"Are you flirting with me, Kili?" she laughed.

"It's a simple question Ruby. Or are you shy?" Fili joined his brother.

"Well," she paused to dunk her head under the water and rinse her hair. "let's see." She passed the soap to Kili as she thought. "I really don't know." She admitted.

"You've been around for more than a thousand years and you don't know?" Fili asked sceptically.

"People aren't as receptive to a mysterious race as you all have been." She admitted sadly. "I've never been in a relationship other than one night stands." She frowned at the brothers grinning at her. "What? A girl has needs! Now turn around."

They laughed and did as she bid so she could step out of the river and wrap herself in her cloak. She gathered her clothes and made her way back to camp, where she hung her clothes and placed her boots to dry. She saw someone had rolled out her bedroll for her by the fire and sat down, spreading her knives and daggers to dry in front of her. The smell of stew and roasted meat wafted to her nose.

"Bombur was very pleased with the ingredients you found." Thorin sat next to her on another bedroll.

"It smells wonderful." Ruby sniffed at the air, shivering slightly.

"Here." Thorin took his wolf pelt off and hung it over her shoulders. "So do you."

"Thank you. What?" she poked her hand from under her cloak and held the pelt in place.

"I'm paying you a compliment." Thorin looked uncomfortable. "You smell nice."

"Oh." Ruby blushed. "Thank you." She repeated. They sat in silence for a while as she brushed out her hair, and Thorin remembered her ribbon in his pocket, but didn't want her to pull it up again, so he tried to make small conversation with her.

"What was that language from before?" he remembered her cursing at the mud in her hair.

"_Hi mindoraan zey_?" her hand snapped to his forearm and her eyes lit up, looking at him hopefully.

"What?" he answered dumbly.

"Oh. I thought you understood me." She let her hand fall and Thorin tried to ignore the loss of contact.

"What language is that?" Ori asked, coming to sit by the fire with them.

"I don't know." Ruby shrugged. "I've been roaming Arda trying to find someone who knows it. I've been through so many books and scrolls, from all over the world, but nothing has been of use. I've talked to almost all the known races, but no one knows anything."

"All races?" the youngest Dwarf asked in awe.

"Almost all." She corrected.

"But...how can you keep a conversation with Orcs, or Goblins, or other...evil things?"

"Everyone has a price." She smiled. "No exceptions."

"And what is yours?" Thorin asked.

"Knowledge." She turned her eyes to him, the red glow from the fire making the hairs on the back of his head stand.

They kept quiet, until Bombur decided supper was ready and started to hand out bowls. As Thorin stood to retrieve his, Ruby snatched her dry clothes and hid behind a large tree to change. She came back to see a steaming bowl of thick stew and a plate of meat on her bedroll. Thorin was back on his, already half finished with his own meal. "Here." She handed him his pelt back. She immediately shivered at the loss of the heat.

"Keep it." He noticed her discomfort. "Warm yourself first. Eat." He watched her start to eat and followed her spoon from her bowl to her lips, until she finished it and started on the meat, all the while making light conversation with Ori on her right. After the last bone was picked dry, she licked her fingers and froze with a thumb still in her mouth, feeling his gaze on her. She shifted her eyes to his, and popped her finger out.

"Sorry. I'm sure my manners aren't fit to dine by a king." She smiled sheepishly and started tucking away her dried weapons under her shirt in their respective sheaths.

"That's fine." Thorin's voice came out thicker than he intended as he watched knife after knife disappear under the fabric. "You should rest." He took her plate and bowl and walked off to Bombur.

Ruby pulled out her pipe and stuffed it with her own tobacco leaves and allowed herself to relax. As she smoked, the sweet smell mixed with the scent wafting from the pelt around her shoulders. It smelled like a stronger tobacco, sweat and rain, but also something musky, like deep woods and spices. She started to doze off in her seat when Fili and Kili stormed into the campsite.

"Trolls!" they called in unison. Shaking her and a few other dwarves awake.

"They took two ponies." Kili was saying as she stood.

"Then Bilbo went after them but he got caught." Fili finished.

The whole company charged quietly into the forest, arriving at a clearing where the trolls had caught Bilbo by the legs and held upside down in the air.

"Come here, you little...Gotcha! Are there any more of you little fellas `iding where you shouldn't?" one of the ugly creatures asked.

"Nope." Bilbo denied.

"He's lying." Another sneered.

"No I'm not!"

"Hold his toes over the fire. Make him squeal."

Kili suddenly ran out of the bushes and cut the troll in the leg, making him howl and fall down. "Drop him!" he called.

"You what?"

"I said, drop him." He twirled his sword.

The troll threw Bilbo at Kili knocking them both down. The rest of the Company charged out of the bushes yelling and brandishing their weapons. They began fighting, hacking, slashing, and hammering their legs, as Ruby nimbly climbed a tree and threw her knives, expertly avoiding her companions. As the fight went on, she saw Bilbo grab a large knife and cut the ropes, freeing the ponies but was grabbed by two trolls.

"Bilbo!" Ruby aimed a knife at one of the large hands, but the third troll grabbed her ankle and pulled her from the tree before she could throw it. The Dwarves stopped fighting when they saw the trolls holding them.

"Bilbo! Ruby!" Kili called and stepped forward.

"No!" Thorin growled and held him back.

"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip theirs off." A troll ordered.

Thorin looked at Bilbo and Ruby in frustration, then planted his sword in the ground. The others dropped their swords and weapons as well.

The trolls tied Dwalin, Bofur, Dori, Ori and Nori onto a spit and were roasting them over a fire while the rest were tied up in sacks. Ruby was the last to be stuck in a sack and thrown on the heap of Dwarves. She landed roughly across Thorin's chest, both grunting.

"Don't bother cooking them. Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly." One of the trolls was saying. As they argued over how to cook them, Ruby started twisting her body this way and that.

"What are you doing, woman?" Thorin said from under a faceful of her still damp hair. He tried to ignore the fresh smell of soap infused with sweet tobacco wafting up his nose, but it was much nicer than the stink of the trolls.

"Shut up and push your hands up." She whispered.

"What?" his hands were tied under the sack, right underneath her haunches.

"Just do it!" she wiggled on his lap.

He obeyed and felt a cold metal poke through the sack and cut through his ropes.

Bilbo, realizing what they were doing, called the trolls attention to himself.

They listened carefully to his story as Ruby slowly passed the knife to him and he cut her loose in turn. He almost laughed as she muttered that she was the only one who didn't stink, but shushed her instead. He thought he felt her shiver. Ruby tried to ignore his voice in her ear as he passed the knife around, but stayed put.

"In—in fact they all have, they're in—infested with parasites." Bilbo was saying "It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't."

"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili was outraged.

Ruby felt Thorin's chest move and his warm breath in her hair as he huffed. They both kicked Kili to make him shut up. The others caught on to what Bilbo was up to.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm." Oin finally said.

"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!" Kili shouted.

"We're riddled." Nori agreed.

Ruby saw Gandalf appear on top of a large rock above the clearing as the Dwarves yelled about their parasites.

"The dawn will take you all!" the Wizard declared.

"Who's that?"

"No idea."

"Can we eat `im too?"

Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, splitting it in half and stepping aside as it fell, allowing the sunlight behind it to pour into the clearing. When the sunlight touched the trolls' skin, they began turning into stone, howling in pain. Within seconds, there were three stone statues in the light. The Dwarves cheered as they untangled themselves from the cut ropes and sacks. Kili took Ruby's hand and helped her up. Thorin could not help but miss her warmth. She went around the clearing gathering her knives.

Gandalf had a pleased smile on his face as the mocked the statues with his staff.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin approached him.

"To look ahead."

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind." Gandalf smiled at him. "Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin grumbled.

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Gandalf retorted. "And the only lady in your company was the only one who was not stripped of her weapons." He added, watching Thorin's expression turn repentant. "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." He turned back to the statues.

Kili approached Ruby as Thorin and Gandalf talked.

"You kicked me." He accused.

"You were ruining the plan." She slapped his arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "That was quite a fall when the troll threw you."

"Not to worry, Thorin cushioned it for me." She laughed and a small blush appeared on her cheeks. Fili was walking by and shared a knowing grin with his brother. "What?" Ruby asked. They turned their mischievous smiles to her. "Shut up!" she blushed harder and stomped off, hiding her knives.

"We didn't say anything!" Fili argued and they saw their uncle looking curiously at them. They waved merrily at him, who in turn narrowed his eyes. He knew his nephews well enough to know when they were up to something. They set out and found a large cave nearby, entering it.

"Oh, what's that stench?!" Nori held his hand to his nose.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch." Gandalf warned.

"I _just_ took a bath." Ruby was muttering.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bofur mused at the coins.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel." Gloin grinned.

While exploring, Thorin found two swords covered in cobwebs. Gandalf and Ruby approached him as he took them. Ruby shuddered next to him, a disgusted look in her face. He looked at her curiously.

"I don't like webs." She scrunched up her nose.

Thorin threw her an amused smirk. "These swords were not made by any troll." Thorin turned to inspect the swords, handing one to Gandalf and keeping the other one.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men." Gandalf inspected his sword while Ruby looked over Thorin's shoulder at his. "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age."

Thorin handed the sword to Ruby in disgust.

"I don't use swords." She shook her head and pushed his hand away.

"You could not wish for a finer blade." Gandalf scolded his actions. Reluctantly, Thorin kept the sword.

"Let's get out of this foul place. Come on, let's go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori!" he called the Dwarves who were happily burying the chest full of gold.

On his way out, Gandalf stopped and blocked Thorin's way. He patiently waited and looked around, finding a chest full of jewels. Rummaging curiously he found a thin gold chain with small rubies embedded in it. He pocketed it as Gandalf exited the cave and followed. He looked for Ruby and saw her standing next to Fili, both looking down at Kili, who was stuffing gold coins in the hidden pockets inside his boots. He approached them and called to Ruby, who was grinning at his nephew. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised in question. Thorin found himself alone with her as his nephews scurried away.

"I found somethi—" he was interrupted by her head snapping to her left and her face turning cold and serious. He heard it too. "Something's coming!" he called.

"Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves." Gandalf was shouting as they ran into the woods.

Thorin looked back to pull Ruby along with him, but found her matching their pace easily at his side, daggers drawn.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" a voice called as a rabbit-drawn sleigh pulled up short in front of them.

"Radagast!" Gandalf recognized him. Thorin saw Ruby sheathe her daggers and relax, an easy smile on her face. "Radagast the Brown. Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Oh, hello, Ruby, how are you dear?" he smiled fondly at her.

"You look troubled, is everything okay?" she asked him.

"Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong." His smile vanished.

"Yes?" Gandalf egged him on.

Radagast opened his mouth to speak, but shut it, a quizzical look on his face. He opened his mouth again, but closed it once more. "Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." He poked his tongue out. "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old—" Gandalf pulled a stick insect out of Radagast's mouth. "—stick insect!" Ruby shuddered and left the two Wizards to sit on a log.

"Do you think he brought us some pie?" Thorin approached Ruby. She laughed and patted the wood next to her. He sat as she shrugged his pelt off and held it out to him.

"Thank you, but I think I'm warm enough now." She laughed with him as he placed it around his shoulders. It smelled faintly of the same scent her hair had been.

"You're welcome. I still think you don't dress warmly enough." He took the sleeve of her shirt and rubbed it between his fingers.

"Lucky me I have you to keep me warm." She nudged his arm with her shoulder. "I mean, that you lent me your pelt." She blushed. "That was very nice." She looked away, her cheeks burning brighter.

Thorin chuckled and delicately took her chin in his fingers, turning her head back to him.

"You're welcome." He said lowly, looking into the deep chestnut of her eyes. She licked her lips nervously and his eyes were drawn to them.

Suddenly, a howl was heard in the distance. They were instantly on their feet, looking around.

"Was that a wolf? Are there—are there wolves out there?" Bilbo struttered.

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur looked around.

From behind a nearby crag, a Warg appeared, leaping and knocking down one of the Dwarves. Thorin struck it down, but his sword was stuck in its neck. Another Warg was approaching from the other side, but Kili shot an arrow past his uncle, bringing it down. However, it got back up, only to be killed by Dwalin.

"Warg-Scouts!" Thorin yanked his sword from the beast. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind."

"Orc pack?" Bilbo cried, alarmed.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked.

"No one."

"Who did you tell?"

"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin demanded.

"You are being hunted."

"We have to get out of here." Dwalin looked around.

"We can't! We have no ponies; they bolted." Ori came down a hill.

"I'll draw them off." Radagast declared.

"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you." Gandalf shook his head.

"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try." The brown Wizard smirked in pride.

As they put their plan in action, Gandalf led them across a rocky plain. In the distance, Radagast was being chased by the Wargs.

"Ori, no!" Ruby cried and snatched him from the line of sight of the Wargs by the scruff of his neck.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked the Wizard, who didn't answer. The Dwarves took cover behind an outcropping of rock, Thorin stretching his arm to press Ruby against the rock behind him. A scout and his Warg appeared on top of the outcropping, scenting the air. Thorin looked at Kili and nodded. Readying an arrow, Kili quickly stepped out and shot the Warg. The Warg and the Orc on it fell near the Dwarves who tried to kill them quickly and silently, but the others heard.

"Move. Run!" Gandalf urged. They ran across the plains, but Wargs were quickly surrounding them.

"Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin ordered. He saw Ruby press her back to his nephew and started throwing her smaller knives, both hitting their targets dead center.

"We're surrounded!" Fili shouted.

"Where is Gandalf?" Kili turned in synchronized dance back to back with Ruby, still shooting the last of their weapons.

"He has abandoned us!" Ruby frowned at Dwalin.

The Dwarves gathered close to each other near a large rock.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin shouted.

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf popped up from behind a rock.

"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!" Thorin waved them before him as he stood on the rock. "Kili! Ruby! Run!" he called to the last two.

Thorin and Kili waited for Ruby to jump into the crack between them, but an Orc arrow hit her in the shoulder and made her stumble.

"AH! _Kul do wiizaan_!" Kili pulled her up. She raised her hand and a fireball left her palm, hitting the Orc with the bow. They jumped into the crack together. The Company listened to a horn being blown and the conflict outside from inside the crack as Ruby spewed profanities in that strange language as Kili inspected her shoulder. One of the Orcs, shot by an arrow, fell into the cave. Thorin plucked out the arrow in its neck and examined it.

"Elves." Thorin spat.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin called.

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur started towards him.

"I think that would be wise." Gandalf ignored Thorin's glare and spotted Bilbo, a confused frown on his face.

They followed the narrow path, the only sound being their grunting and Ruby's curses in that strange language. They seemed to intensify every time the arrow grazed the rock around her.

"Gandalf, where are we?" Bilbo asked, looking up at the stone walls.

"You can feel it?" they stopped next to Ruby as she sat on a stone protuberance to rest.

"Yes." He looked back at the grey. "It feels like...well..." he hesitated. "like magic."

"That's exactly what it is." The Wizard's blue eyes sparkled happily. "A very powerful magic."

"There is light ahead." Dwalin called and Ruby stood, following the rest of the Dwarves. Bilbo was right behind her, and looked worriedly at her wound. When they finally came out of the crack, a small waterfall ran across some steps, where she slipped and fell, breaking the arrow.

"_Draaf_!" she growled.

"Are you hurt?" Thorin helped her up.

"No, it's amazing." She snapped at him, gripping her shoulder. "I always had a thing for falling down with an arrow stuck in my shoulder."

"Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea." Gandalf said over her cursing. The girl knew no end to foul language.

"This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy." Thorin still held Ruby's arm.

"You're too fucking proud, Thorin." Ruby snatched her arm back and started walking down to the gates. "It'll kill you someday."

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf explained politely "The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself." Bilbo looked uncomfortable in the middle of the discussion.

"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing?" Thorin growled. "They will try to stop us."

"Of course they will." Gandalf raised his eyebrows. "But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me." Thorin looked like he was about to answer, but Ruby's curses made him sigh in reluctant acceptance and follow her angry voice across a bridge entering Rivendell.

"Mithrandir." A dark haired Elf called as he descended the steps in front of them.

"Ah! Lindir!" the grey pilgrim greeted.

"_Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen_."

"I must speak with Lord Elrond."

"My lord Elrond is not here."

"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf frowned. Lindir was always a difficult Elf to get information from.

Suddenly, the Elvish horns from earlier were heard again. Gandalf suppressed a smirk at the Elf. The Company turned around to see a group of armed horsemen approaching along the bridge at a rapid rate.

"_Ifridî bekâr_!" Thorin ordered. "Hold ranks!" the Dwarves formed a tight circle around Bilbo and Ruby. Gandalf looked worriedly at them. The mounted Elves rode in circles around the Dwarves. Eventually, they stopped, and one Elf, separated himself from the others.

"Gandalf."

"Lord Elrond. _Mellon nin! Mo evínedh_?" Gandalf bowed gracefully.

"_Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui_." Lord Elrond dismounted from his horse, stepping closer to Gandalf for an embrace. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders." He held up an Orc sword, then handed it to Lindir. "Something, or someone, has drawn them near."

"Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf admitted sheepishly. Thorin stepped forward, and Elrond looked upon him with recognition.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."

"I do not believe we have met." Thorin looked the Elf up and down.

"You have your grandfather's bearing." Lord Elrond chose to ignore the brusque tone. "I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you." The look of haughty derision Thorin was giving Lord Elrond was enough to make Gandalf scowl at him, but the utter politeness of the Elf only let him narrow his eyes at the insults.

"_Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin._" Ruby and Gandalf smirked. Of course none of the Dwarves would understand the invitation, and the cunning Elf had not altered his voice to a friendlier tone.

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin brandished his axe. The Dwarves grew bellicose and gripped their weapons uneasily.

"No, master Gloin, he's offering you food." Gandalf spoke exasperatedly. The Dwarves quickly discussed amongst themselves.

"Ah well, in that case, lead on." Gloin nodded, Balin smiling happily next to him. Lord Elrond smirked at them.

"You're bleeding out." Fili noticed Ruby growing paler. The amount of blood running down her back was excessive. Thorin also noticed her paleness. She, in response, merely slumped against Fili. Thorin looked back to the Elves in worry, and watched as Lord Elrond's eyes recognized her.

"Lindir, take her to the healers." He ordered. The Dwarves were unwilling to part to let the dark haired Elf through, and he nearly had to push Thorin away and pry her from Fili's arms. The last thing she saw were Thorin's deep royal blue eyes, looking at her in concern. She managed a chuckle. Blue as his royal blood. Then darkness and cold engulfed her.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Hi mindoraan zey? - You understand me?_

_Kul do wiizaan! - Son of a whore!_

_Draaf! - Shit!_

_Mithrandir - grey pilgrim - Gandalf_

_Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen. - We heard you had crossed into the Valley._

_Ifridî bekâr! - Ready weapons!_

_Mellon nin! Mo evínedh? - My friend! Where have you been?_

_Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui. - We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South. We slew a number near the Hidden Pass._

_Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin. - Light the fires, bring forth the wine. We must feed our guests._


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby woke to a faceful of softness. For a moment, she didn't know who she was, where she was, how, or why she had gotten there. The only thing in her mind was the soft, warm linen in her face. Then a gentle prodding in her shoulder made her jerk to awareness.

The trolls, the Orcs, the flight, it all came crashing back to her as she moved on instinct. She cursed as she found her corset missing, along with her weapons. She tried to clear her vision of black spots by blinking and shaking her throbbing head lightly as she pressed herself to a pillar for support, knocking over a vase with flowers. The ringing in her ears muffled the crashing sound and the calls of what seemed to be Elves around her.

* * *

"Kind of you to invite us. I'm not really dressed for dinner." Gandalf was saying as they wandered the halls.

"Well, you never are." Lord Elrond laughed as they arrived at the courtyard where the Dwarves were eating.

The Dwarves were sitting around tables, eating and arguing about the vegetables when they heard something smash. Lord Elrond, Gandalf, Thorin, Dwalin and Kili were the closest to the noise, and followed it to find the healers around a familiar thrashing form.

* * *

"Ruby!" she felt two long hands grip her arms tightly and shake her. The blurry shape in front of her held her against her struggling.

"Focus, foolish girl!" she recognized the deep voice from many years ago, when it was teaching her magic and the wonders of Middle Earth. She forced herself to take deep breaths and slowly, the room around her slid into focus. She recognized Lord Elrond holding her, and Dwalin standing protectively in front of the Elven healers. Gandalf was standing by Thorin and Kili, who looked alarmed.

"I'm going to ask you to calm down, Ruby." Lord Elrond said slowly and clearly. She looked down and saw the water from the vase had floated up to form a protective shield around her clenched fists, the thin streams of water ramping around her flesh was enough to cut Lord Elrond's long sleeves. She slowly relaxed her wrists and the water dripped down to the floor in a soft splash.

"I'm sorry." Her tongue was heavy and drowsy. They had probably given her something to keep her asleep while they stitched her up.

"No harm done, my lady." Lord Elrond had to support her weight as she finally calmed down and her knees buckled. "The healers are going to stitch your wound. I need you to stay calm and not hurt them." He was saying before she could pass out again.

"I'm fine." She weakly tried to push him away, but her limp hand merely flopped against his chest. She tried to step away from his grasp, only to fall back into softness again. She sighed at the familiar smell of dark woods, tobacco, rain and spices, letting the darkness take her again, this time willingly as she sank into the warmth.

* * *

"I told you sedating her wasn't a good idea." Gandalf was saying to their host as they stood watch over her as the healers worked on her shoulder. She was lying on Thorin's wolf pelt, as she refused to let her grip loosen from it ever since he caught her from falling and tried to lay her on the bed. He had untangled it from himself and let her clutch it to her as her shoulder was stitched. "I remember a time I tried to push a dislocated shoulder back in place and she threw me out of the window!" Gandalf continued. "Broke my wrist in the fall." He grumbled.

As the healers filed out, so did the others, Thorin staying behind a moment longer to look at Ruby's pale face as she buried her face in his pelt. He felt something stir in his chest and breathed deeply to get rid of whatever it was, but it kept nagging him from inside. He turned and left for the feast.

* * *

"This is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver." Lord Elrond was examining Thorin's sword. "A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West, my kin. May it serve you well." He handed Orcrist back to Thorin, who accepted it with a slight bow of the head. "And this is Glamdring, the Foe-hammer, sword of the King of Gondolin." He was turning Gandalf's sword in his hands. "These swords were made for the Goblin wars of the First Age...How did you come by these?"

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East Road, shortly before we were ambushed by Orcs." Gandalf explained.

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Lord Elrond looked ready for a discussion.

"Ah, Ruby!" Gandalf successfully avoided the Elf. "Awake already?"

They watched as she came and sat between Gandalf and Thorin, the latter's pelt draped around her shoulders.

"Lord Elrond." She started. "I apologize for my behaviour. I would like to speak and make amend with the healers."

"All is well, my lady." The Elf waved a servant closer. "They are quite used to your antics." Gandalf chuckled at his words.

"It seems I have yet to arrive without injuring myself. Thank you." She thanked the Elf as he placed a bowl of rice in front of her.

"You'll get to it." They laughed. Thorin turned to Ruby, who was eating as fast as she could without being considered rude. He counted the hours since they had stopped for supper. Since before the trolls.

"You've been here before?" he asked.

"My teachings were divided by these two grumpy old masters." Ruby smirked at them.

"Ruby has a rare talent for controlling the elements, as you saw before." Gandalf explained, ignoring her comment. "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." He recited one of his titles.

"Yes, I remember her throwing a fireball at the Orc who shot her." Thorin watched as Ruby's face darkened.

"Lord Elrond, on the other hand, is well acquainted with the powers of water." Gandalf continued.

"And what of earth and air?" Thorin asked her curiously as she was sipping her wine. She looked at him and set her glass down.

"The Eagles refuse to share their knowledge with a land-dweller, as they call us, but I managed to get my hands on a few scrolls. They're not as good as an actual master, but I taught myself a few tricks. As for earth, I spent many years with the wood Elves." She let her words sink in. "Thranduil was harsh, but I learned much from him." She finished.

"Excuse me." Thorin growled and left the table.

Ruby sighed and watched as Bofur started singing and the Dwarves threw food around. Lord Elrond was appalled, much like the other Elves around them. Gandalf and Ruby tried to contain their laughs.

Until Kili threw a loaf of bread filled with what seemed to be cottage cheese at the back of Ruby's head. Silence ruled for a few seconds. Ruby turned in her seat to glare at him.

"At least it's not mud this time." He grinned sheepishly.

"_Mud_?" Lord Elrond looked appalled.

"I'm going to count to five." She started, calmly. "If I get to three and you're still here I will throw you off this balcony." She said to Kili, who was staring wide eyed at her.

"One." She stood from her spot, cheese dripping down her hair.

"You wouldn't do that to your dear companion, now would you, Ruby?" Kili stood and stepped back.

"Two." She started towards him, a manic grin on her face.

"Now, I think you're going a bit too far with this." He looked around for help, but his brothers in arms merely snickered at him.

"Three."

Kili turned and bolted down the steps, Ruby hot on his heels. They ran across an Orchard and past Thorin who was sitting on a stone bench. He looked up and saw his nephew sprint past and Ruby slow to a halt next to him.

"What did he do now?" Thorin studied her dirty hair.

"Just a bit of fun." She huffed and came to sit by him. "Here." She handed him his pelt back. "Thank you, again."

Thorin took it back and placed it around his own shoulders. Her scent seemed stronger as the wind picked up slightly. He tried to ignore it, but Ruby had her eyes closed and was breathing in deeply.

"Hmm, do you smell that?" she smiled.

"What?" Thorin willed the red off his cheeks.

"Soon this tree will be filled with lemons." She looked up at the white flowers.

"You like lemons?" Thorin searched in the branches, but there were no ripe fruits yet. "Women usually enjoy sweeter fruits." He mused.

"Then I suppose I'm unusual." Ruby shrugged. "I've always loved the sour taste of them." She explained. "Squeezed fresh over roasted pork, or whipped with sweet cream for a pie, or even a cold lemonade on a hot summer day." She opened her eyes and turned to him. They stared into each others' eyes, and Thorin raised a hand to wipe a bit of what seemed to be cottage cheese from her cheek. She looked up at him and blushed.

"My lady _Mîruin_?" the dark haired Elf from before came closer. "are you feeling better? You should be resting."

"Lindir." She greeted him. "I'm fine, no need to worry. But I seem to require a bath." She said, a bit embarrassed.

"I shall have a bath be drawn for you, my lady _Mîruin_." He took her hand and kissed it. "May I lead you to your quarters?" Thorin bristled.

"I know my way back to my own rooms, thank you, Lindir." She pulled her hand away from his. "Before I go, have you seen _Mal Jun_?"

"He's usually in the library, or with his mother." Thorin smirked at the disappointment in the Elf's face as she pulled away from him.

"How is she?" Ruby knew of the woman's poor health, and how he suffered from it.

"The same." Lindir bowed his head in sadness. "_Estel_ will be glad you have returned. Excuse me, my lady _Mîruin_." He took his leave with a smile.

"I thought you weren't a lady?" Thorin walked with her to the library. "What did he call you?"

"Elves were always too courteous for my taste. And just like they call Gandalf _Mithrandir_, which means 'grey pilgrim', they named me _Mîruin_, loosely translated to 'red jewel'." She shrugged, wincing at her hurt shoulder.

"I hate to agree with one of their kind, but you really should rest." Thorin said as they passed large wooden doors. The silence of the library was comforting, but they kept talking in hushed tones.

"I'm fine." She waved him off as she looked through the book lined hallways.

"_Dovahmiin_!" a young boy ignored the shushes around the library as he dropped a book and sprinted to Ruby, who wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"_Dii shir hes kiir, frolok vir hi lost naram!_" she cooed at him, kissing the top of his head.

"_Das Zu'u fen kos faariik fein hi!_" He answered in the same strange tongue Thorin did not understand, but with a thick accent.

"You? Taller than me?" she raised an eyebrow. "I hope that day never comes. Never grow up." She laughed. Pushing the boy an arms' length away, she studied him. "Don't the Elves here tell you to brush your hair?" she tried to run her hand through the unruly brown locks, only succeeding in catching her fingers in knots, making the boy hiss and squint his blue eyes at her. She proceeded to wipe some dust from his cheek, probably from the many books he buried himself in every day. The boy fought her off, stepping back and looking curiously to Thorin. "This is Thorin Oakensheld." She said. "Thorin, this is _Mal Jun_, he's helping me find any information about myself. I've been teaching him my language." She explained.

"_Gamut sanu yenet, khazad thane_." The little boy bowed respectfully to Thorin.

"_Vemu, iburm_." Thorin replied. "You are very smart to know so many languages." He praised.

"Indeed, he is!" Ruby caressed his chin in pride. "Have you been training with your sword as well? I don't want you locked up in here the whole day!" She scolded. The boy proudly showed a small, thin scar on his forearm.

"I got this after Lord Elrond allowed me to use a real sword instead of the wooden training sticks." Ruby took his arm in her hand and ran her finger over the scar. Thorin could see in her gleaming red eyes she was holding back a great deal of concern. Anyone could see she cared deeply for the boy. Thorin watched her closely and forlornly wished she would shower him with attention and praise as well. He shook his head, dispersing the strange thoughts to the back of his head.

"Did you learn how to correctly hold a sword so you don't hurt yourself again?" she asked, snapping her eyes to the boy's face. "A scar is of no use if you don't learn anything from it."

"I did." The boy nodded. He seemed like a puppy, eager for praise.

"Very good. And did you find anything in these books?" she looked around. As the boy shook his head, her face fell. "I see."

"I'm looking really hard, _Dovahmiin_, I swear! I'll even travel to other libraries when I'm older, an—"

"No." She interrupted. "You are not a scholar, _Mal Jun_."

"You haven't yet taught me that word." He said. "I know _mal_ means little...?" he hoped for an answer.

"You'll find out soon enough." She said, smiling proudly at him. She knew Lord Elrond did not want the boy to know of his true heritage, at least not yet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bath to get to." She gestured to her hair. "Please don't lock yourself in this library. I appreciate your help, but you shouldn't be tied down by my quest." She ruffled the boys head.

"I missed you, _Dovahmiin_." He hugged her once again and smiled as she kissed the top of his head. releasing her, he turned to Thorin. "_Rasup gamut, khazad thane, tan menu selek lanun naman_."

"_Rasup gamut, iburm, tak natu yenet_." Thorin replied and watched the little boy return to the pile of books and start putting them away.

"Thank you." He turned his eyes to Ruby.

"For what?"

"He's so zealous about learning new languages, you stroked his ego quite a bit." She smiled.

"I assume he has a great tutor." Thorin offered her his arm and placed his hand over hers as she held the crook of his elbow. "How many languages do you speak?" he let her lead them to a corridor parallel to the one the Dwarves were staying.

"Oh, a few." She smirked at him. They stopped by a door.

"I hope your bath soothes your wound, _azbad men_ _Baraz Kunzek_." Thorin stopped at her door and took her hand, bowing down and kissing her knuckles.

Ruby's breath caught in her throat as those blue pools of ice looked up at her slyly. She shivered at the soft scratching of his beard on her skin and the warm feel of his calloused hand. He kept holding her hand as he straightened up and stepped closer. She shivered as he named her in Khuzdul, an obvious retaliation to the Elves.

"I—" his musky smell surrounded her, making her dizzy as she lost herself in the two ice chips he called eyes. Nervously licking her lips, she saw those blue orbs zero in on them.

Thorin wondered if she had been eating berries before. There was no possible way her lips looked so red and plump naturally. He threaded a hand through one of her tresses that had fallen across her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, burying his fingers in her hair.

"My hair is all caked with cheese, I shoul—" she started to step away, but Thorin held her lower back in his other hand.

"I don't mind." He whispered huskily as he slowly closed the distance between them, their noses grazing each other. He stopped a breath away from her lips, looking up at the pair of chestnuts that were trained on him. The sunset shone through a window, giving them that red gleam that sent shivers up his spine.

Ruby rested her small hands on his chest and pressed herself to him, sealing their lips. He tasted of the strong Dwarvish tobacco he was so fond of and spiced wine. She gasped as a warm tongue poked at her lips and started dancing with her own.

Thorin felt lightheaded. Her hot mouth was soft, but for a thin scar on the corner of her lower lip. He grazed it with his tongue, and took the chance to push it in her mouth as she gasped in surprise. He felt like he was suckling on a honeycomb, but beneath the sweet nectar, he could taste the uniqueness that was Ruby.

They parted for air, Ruby's eyes slightly unfocused.

"I—I should go." She dropped her hands from his chest.

"Yes, you should." Thorin made no move to release her.

"I'll see you later for dinner?" she slipped away from his arms and opened her door.

"Of course." He straightened up and watched her disappear in her room. "Fili, Kili." He called. His nephews appeared from behind two pillars, wide grins on their faces.

"Hello, uncle." Fili stepped closer. Thorin crossed his arms, but could not keep a small grin from his face.

"I assume rumours will have been spread in the morning?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why wait 'till morning uncle?" Kili led his brother back to the balcony with a laugh. Thorin shook his head and decided to deal with it later. He went to his own room to find a bath had been drawn for him as well. He stripped ad stepped inside, giving himself a much needed scrub while he let his mind wander to the beauty across the hall.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Mîruin - red jewel (adaptation) - Ruby_

_Mal Jun - little king - Aragorn_

_Estel - hope - Aragorn_

_Dovahmiin - Dragon eye - Ruby_

_Dii shir hes kiir, frolok vir hi lost naram! - My dear sweet child, look how you have grown!_

_Das Zu'u fen kos faariik fein hi! - Soon I will be taller than you!_

_Gamut sanu yenet, khazad thane. - Well met, dwarf king._

_Vemu, iburm. - Greetings, little boy._

_Rasup gamut, khazad thane, tan menu selek lanun naman. - Farewell, dwarf king, may your forge burn bright._

_Rasup gamut, iburm, tak natu yenet. - Farewell, little boy, until next we meet._

_azbad men - my lady_

_Baraz Kunzek - red stone - Ruby_


	5. Chapter 5

Ruby was sitting in a tub full of hot water, a few lemon peels floating on the surface. Lindir probably had seen to it himself. She missed living here. She was always clean, fresh, sleeping in a warm, soft bed, with a full stomach. But as nice as that had been, the wilderness called to her. Lord Elrond had tried to convince her to stay, that maybe a change of scenery was all she needed, and she agreed to go to the wood Elves. She stayed as long as twenty seven years with them, but also felt out of place.

She had returned often to Rivendell, for short periods of time, mostly to spend time with the _mal jun_ Aragorn after he came with his sickly mother. Her lack of attention towards him had him latch on to Ruby greedily, following her around the library and training grounds. She understood Lord Elrond's will to keep his identity secret until he was old enough, and agreed with it, but also took it upon herself to tutor him as often as she was in Rivendell.

So she had taught him to read and write in the common tongue. After he expertly taught himself Elvish, and even a little bit of Sindarin, she had taught him her language, hoping that he would stumble upon a book in his curious roaming through the library. As always, her restlessness and thirst for knowledge would drive her away for months, but she returned often with gifts and tales from around Arda.

She refrained from leaving Middle Earth, as anywhere else was too far away from her pupil, but she gave up her own studies of the elements as none of her tutors would accompany her in her travels. Taking up a trade as a mercenary brought her more than enough gold to sustain her and train herself. Often being left edgy and irritable after a mission, she had discovered Hobbiton and its peace. More often than not, she would stay at the only inn that had a bed big enough for her, even if she was very short, the Hobbits still considered her one of the tall folk. Her love of food had brought her closer to many of the Hobbits, mainly Bilbo Baggins, who was a story teller, and always seemed interested in her adventures.

And now she found herself here, a part of Thorin's company. Her smile fell as she thought about Thorin. He could not become attached to her, it was much too dangerous for their trip. Also, she wasn't a Dwarf. Surely he would want to keep his line pure. '_Even if I could bear children._' She rubbed the scar on her abdomen. She thought about _what_ she was.

Long ago, Gandalf found her in the middle of the Myr Forest, Located east of the Gulf of Ûtum, in the northernmost plain of central Endor. She was not different from what she looked like now, except for fewer scars and shorter hair. With no memory from before, she cowered from the world under a hollow tree. He took her in and thought about taking her to one of the cities, but soon found out about her powers. She also seemed not to age. After a millenia, she still looked to be a human in her early twenties. Gandalf had been like a father to her, taking her on adventures, and then battles when he deemed her old enough.

The water was cold now, and even though she could warm it with a simple spell, she stepped out of the tub and dried herself with a fluffy towel. Her clothes were gone, Lord Elrond had probably ordered someone to take them away. She imagined Lindir wanting to burn them, they both loathed seeing her in men's clothes. And, sure enough, there was a light pink dress on her bed. She scowled at it. She hated dresses. As if on cue, a knock sounded from her door. She wrapped herself in the towel and went to open it. Gandalf was standing there, holding a pile of clothing. She smiled and let him in.

"Gandalf, you're always looking out for me." She accepted the clothes as the Wizard placed a hand on her shoulder.

"And I always will, my dear." He let her go as she stepped behind a changing screen. "Rumours are flying amongst the Dwarves." He continued as he sat on a nearby chair.

"Really?" she didn't sound so surprised.

"Yes..." he watched her step closer and sit on the chair next to him to pull on a pair of black slippers. "About you and Thorin."

"Gandalf?" She put her slipper clad feet down and looked forward, serious. "What race am I?" they had this conversation many times before, usually when she had a love interest. Gandalf knew she wasn't bothered by the fact that she couldn't bear children, she never really liked them. Little critters, she called them, with the exception of Aragorn, who had always acted much more mature than his age. But the thought of being alone in the world drowned her spirits.

"I'm sure Thorin doesn't care." He said kindly.

"What about his line?" her voice was bitter.

"He has Fili and Kili. I'm sure Thorin wouldn't hesitate to adopt one of his grandnephews as heir. And even though you deny it, I'm certain you could raise a child to become a grand ruler." He let the obvious reference to Aragorn linger in the air and winked at her as she smiled. "Now come. You are to retake your studies!" he declared as he stood.

Ruby stood and wrapped her arms around him. Smiling up at the Wizard, she wiped tears from her eyes.

"My dear, sweet child." He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Do not worry about meaningless things that have not even come to pass. You are a wonderful person, and I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, father." Gandalf could count on one hand the times she used the word. He realized Thorin might have gotten to her more than any of them thought.

"Come now, wash your face. I will await you in the training grounds." He left her room and closed the door softly behind him. As he arrived, Thorin was watching his company train, Lord Elrond standing by his side. "Ah, Thorin, just the Dwarf I wanted to see." He stood on his other side.

"Gandalf?" Thorin turned to him.

"If you break Ruby's heart, I will personally make sure you are Dragon supper." He murmured lowly to him.

Thorin's eyes widened. He looked to Lord Elrond, who was nodding in agreement. He frowned at the accusation, but understood that she had been in their care for a long time.

"I have no such plans." He said. "I do not know what is growing inside me," he pressed his hand to his chest. "but I know it is true." The two taller men seemed satisfied and looked behind him.

"I thought I told the maids to lay out a dress for you." Lord Elrond frowned.

"You know I can't stand dresses." Thorin turned to see Ruby walking up to them. Her small feet were clad in black slippers, her brown trousers reached down to right under her knees. A light brown shirt with golden stitching was loose around the neckline, her hair staining wet spots on her shoulders.

"I blame you." The Elf turned to Gandalf.

"She can't very well train in skirts, can she?" he retorted and stepped down to an area on the training grounds the Dwarves weren't using. "Come on girl, we're wasting daylight. Front and center."

Ruby rushed down the steps and took her place in front of her mentors. The Dwarves gathered around curiously. Bilbo was eager to see magic.

"How do you cope with more than one element at once?" Lord Elrond flicked his wrist and a series of water bullets flew through the air. She expertly dodged them.

"I've never tried." She huffed.

"Well, you're about to." Gandalf added his own little fireballs to the onslaught. Ruby was dripping wet and singed after hours of ducking and blowing back the elements with her powers. The Dwarves had grown tired and were roasting sausages on a fire nearby. Only Bilbo and Thorin kept watching.

"Water is flowing." Elrond was saying. "Let it become a part of you, do not block it."

"Fire has its own will." Gandalf contradicted. "Keep it away from your skin, control it!"

Ruby had both her hands outstretched, her left one holding back a ball of fire about the size of a melon, the other enveloped in water. She breathed heavily and relaxed her right hand, letting the water run up her arm and cool her burns. The fire was getting too close for her taste, so she focused on forming it to a rope, placing it in a protective circle around her.

"Good!" Gandalf praised.

"Keep it up." Elrond and the Wizard continued attacking her with more and more , until she fell on one knee, but kept the magic up, albeit sloppily. "Stand up, you're losing your focus!" the Elf scolded.

Thorin watched as she forced herself back on her feet. The water around her body quivered and detached from her, the fire ring coming closer. She looked around and Thorin saw something flash in her eyes. She grinned at herself and let the two elements crash with a loud sizzling noise and a cloud of steam rising. With a final shout, a gust of strong wind blew the steam around her in a powerful wave, knocking the Wizard and the Elf down. Shouts and cheers came from the Dwarves, and Bilbo clapped enthusiastically.

"Very good, Ruby!" Gandalf picked himself up off the ground.

"Now you just have to work on your concentration." Lord Elrond was straightening himself. "What about your earth talents?"

Ruby's triumphant grin faded away.

"I still can't get the hang of it." She picked up a seed from the ground and focused on her palm. A thin, light green stalk sprouted and rose, roots growing around her fingers and twisting up her arm. After a few seconds, the plant shrivelled and died, falling to the floor. "I'm afraid I'm better at killing than at granting life." She absently rubbed her stomach.

Gandalf looked over to Thorin who noticed the gesture with a curious frown. Sensing the Wizard's eyes on him, they locked gazes. Thorin understood sadly as the grey head shook in silent explanation.

"My Lord Elrond." Lindir called. "Dinner is served."

"Yes, well, I suppose it will be just us?" Lord Elrond saw the Dwarves' sheepish grins as they sat around the burning furniture roasting sausages.

"I wouldn't mind a little bit of meat." Ruby smiled at her tutors as they left after Lindir. Thorin approached Ruby.

"You're sopping wet." He stated.

"You would be too." She laughed and extended her palm, where the water from her clothes and hair gathered into a ball and she led it in an airborne stream to a nearby birdbath.

"That was amazing, Ruby!" Fili said around a mouthful of meat as she approached the circle of Dwarves.

"Lass, what be this..._gemez_?" Bofur was standing by the last unbroken table, holding a glass of the strong Elvish made liquid.

"That's not moonshine, Bofur, that's _ôlsogo_." Ruby corrected. "It loosely translates to 'dream drink'. Be careful, it's strong." She filled a plate with the last sausages that were still left by the fire and helped herself to the many vegetables the Dwarves had ignored. She sat on a cushion and started chewing on one of Bombur's spicy bratwursts. They were by far her favourite from the variety they had bought in Bree, and it made the ginger Dwarf very happy that she enjoyed the recipe passed down through generations of his family. Fili and Kili had taken their seats on each of Ruby's sides.

"That's a lot for one lady to eat." Fili looked at her plate.

"Well, I earned it today!" she declared, stealing a sip from his cup.

"Hey!" he snatched it back.

"How so?" Kili stuffed a piece of cake in his mouth.

"I was attacked by two delinquents, who then proceeded to push me into the mud, bathed in a cold, murky river, got tied up in a sack like a common potato by trolls, who were planning on sautéing me, then I got shot by an Orc, then had to train with a hurt shoulder. So yes, I can eat as much as I like." She huffed.

"Aw, poor little lady." Fili rested his head on her left shoulder.

"You deserve your roasted rewards." Kili rested his head on her other shoulder.

"Get off me, you two!" she struggled against them, but they hugged her from each side trapping her down and making her plate fall into the fire. She stopped and gasped. Reaching up and grabbing their heads, one tuft of blond hair in her left hand, another brown one in her right, she clonked their foreheads together. "You do realize that was the last bit of meat left?" she growled as the brothers rubbed their heads.

"Very mature." Thorin scolded his nephews with a frown.

"Bombur! Are there any bratwursts left?" she whined at the fat Dwarf.

"Sorry, lass, that was the last one. There are some other sausages we bought in Bree." The Dwarf seemed equally sad at the lack of his homemade treat.

Thorin looked down at his plate and saw there was still one of the famous bratwursts left. He looked up to see the brothers grinning at him, Fili jerking his head towards Ruby. Sometimes their evil plans did work out for the best.

Thorin stood and walked over to Ruby as the brothers rose from their cushions and left. He sat to her left and placed his plate in her lap. She frowned and looked down in confusion at the foreign weight.

"Thorin, that's fine, really, I actually enjoy vegetables." She ignored the grumbles of the Dwarves around her.

"You're hurt, you need protein." He insisted.

"He's right lass." Bofur nodded at the plate in her lap.

"Thank you." She said shyly as she ate the sausage, savouring every piece. "Bombur, you must give me this recipe!"

"Sorry, my dear, that's a recipe passed down through generations in my family!" he puffed out his gut proudly.

"Aw, that's too bad!" she said as she licked her lips clean of the tasty, herb-rich fat. Thorin's eyes snapped to them. "I was willing to trade you the recipe for Radagast's mushroom pie, but, oh well..."

"I suppose I can make an exception..." Bombur rubbed his stomach at remembering her description of the pie. The Dwarves roared in laughter.

"_Dovahmiin_?" a small boy appeared through the archway behind them.

"_Mal Jun_, what are you doing up so late?" she placed Thorin's plate down on the floor next to her and scooped the little boy in her arms, making him sit on her crossed legs. "Oh, you're almost my size, you don't fit in my lap anymore." She grunted as the boy laid his head on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep." He mumbled.

"Nightmares again?" she asked. At his nod, she sighed. "I know how you feel." The Dwarves remembered the restless nights she had, often waking them up with her heavy breathing, or attacking one of them as soon as she woke. She started threading her hand through his hair, noticing he had brushed out the knots from before. "Where's your mother?"

"She's at the healers. Again. It's getting harder for her to breathe." A cold silence ran over them as Ruby kissed his forehead. "Can you sing, _Dovahmiin_?" he asked in a small voice.

"Why does he call her that?" Ori asked Dori next to him, who shrugged.

"It's my name, in my language." She explained. "'_Dovah_' means dragon and '_miin_' means eye." Some of the dwarves grumbled at the mention of a dragon, but she easily ignored them. "If there is a word for ruby, I do not know it."

"I think I prefer _Baraz Kunzek_." Thorin declared to her left. The Dwarves all murmured in agreement at the familiar words.

"Won't you sing for the little boy, _Baraz Kunzek_?" Kili urged from his new spot by the stone railing, his pipe smoking in his hand.

"I can't sing." She quipped.

"But you always sing for me." The little boy turned his wide blue eyes up at her, begging. She ignored the sniggering Dwarves as her plan failed, and cleared her throat in defeat.

"_Little child, be not afraid_

_The rain pounds harsh against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger_

_There is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_Though thunder explodes_

_And lightning flash_

_Illuminates your tearstained face_

_I am here tonight_"

He voice wasn't delicate like most women who liked to sing, it was strong and thick with emotions, even if she tried to soften her tone for the sake of the lullaby.

"_And someday you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_And forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_The storm clouds mask your beloved moon_

_And its candlelight beams_

_Still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight_"

The little boy's eyes started to droop as she rocked her torso back and forth to the song. She seemed to be straining at his weight, probably wishing he was the toddler who would ask to be carried by others.

"_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_The wind makes creatures of our trees_

_And the branches to hands_

_They're not real, understand_

_And I am here tonight_

_And someday you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_And forest and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_"

Her eyes turned to Gandalf, who had lifted his head from his supper to listen to her, Lord Elrond by his side. She smiled at him as she continued.

"_For you know, once even I_

_Was a little child_

_And I was afraid_

_But a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears_

_Trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight_

_Well, now I am grown_

_And these years have shown_

_Rain's a part of how life goes_

_But it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait_

_'til your frightened eyes do close_

_And I hope that you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_And forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain will be gone in the morning_

_But I'll still be here in the morning_"

The little boy was dozing in her lap, effectively trapping her down.

"See, this is why I don't sing." She hissed quietly at the weight on her legs. Thorin chuckled and stood, taking the boy in his arms. She stood after him and stretched her legs, bidding a quiet good night to the rest of the Company, Gandalf, Lord Elrond and Lindir. She led Thorin through the halls and opened a door, walking inside and pulling the covers from the bed. Thorin placed the boy on the mattress, and watched as Ruby tucked him in and caressed his hair.

"You're very fond of him, aren't you?" he asked. Ruby put her fingers to her lips and led him outside, closing the door softly.

"He's destined for greatness." She smiled.

"You have a lovely singing voice." Thorin said as he offered her his arm and led her back to her room. She blushed in the dim light of the hallways. "Are you turning in for the night?" he asked.

"Actually," she looked around and dropped her tone. "I was going to the kitchens to see if there were any cakes left. Your nephews ate the last ones."

"Where do you put all that food?" he asked in amazement, eyeing her slender waist as she led him down to the kitchens. She shushed him and hid behind a pillar. Signalling for him to stay there, she vanished into the shadows. Thorin took that time alone to think. The kiss they had shared was not meaningless to him. He rarely courted, even in Erebor, but something inside him was stirring. He understood from before that she could not have children, and even if she could, the line of Durin would not be pure anymore. He didn't think that to be a problem, since he had faith that either Fili, his chosen heir, or even Kili would find a suitable match. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Ruby dashed past him, grabbing his wrist and dragging him along the hallways to a secluded balcony near their rooms.

She panted, a small plate in her hand, three small cakes on it. She grinned triumphantly and took one, putting the plate on the stone railing. Thorin took the other and they ate in comfortable silence, watching the stars. As they reached for the last one, their hands touched, and Ruby pulled hers back.

"You should have it. You were kind enough to give me the last one of Bombur's bratwurst." She smiled at him. He shook his head and nudged the plate to her, and after refusing a second time, he simply picked up the cake and held it in front of her face, making her look at it cross eyed.

She hesitantly took a bite, closing her eyes and humming appreciatively. Her tongue darted out to catch a crumb that had escaped her lips. She raised her hands and took Thorin's larger one in hers, coaxing the other half of the cake past her lips. He lowered his hand, still clasped between hers and watched her throat flex as she swallowed. Her eyes opened and found his, a soft smile on her lips. Then her face fell.

"I'm sorry, I should have left half for you, I—" Thorin cut her off by stepping forward and pressing his lips to hers. "Hmm..." she sighed and melted into his chest, her arms circling around his neck while he held her hips. The sweet lemon cake was fairly tasty, but that unique taste underneath that was all Ruby was what made him slide his hand up her back and press her closer to him. He felt her fingers caress the nape of his neck and she pulled away, holding his cheek. "Thorin are you sure you—ohh" he interrupted her again with soft shushing noises and dipping his head to kiss her neck. She shivered at the tickling of his beard and the fresh night air on her skin as he pushed her shirt aside to trail his tongue over the scar on her collarbone. "Thorin, stop." She pushed his shoulders. He looked up to her eyes, seeing sorrow in them.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, you—" she laughed sadly and stroked his cheek. "You're amazing."

"What's bothering you?" he took her hand in his.

"I'm not sure we should be together." She started. "Thorin, I'm not even the same race as you."

"So?" he kissed her palm.

"I'm sure you want to keep your line pure. Even if I were, I can't bear children." She looked down, tears burning in the corners of her eyes.

"You're right, keeping the line of Durin pure is very important to me." He admitted, but quickly continued as her shoulders slumped further. "But the line does not end with me. Fili and Kili are successors to the throne, their children after them." He tilted her chin up to look at him. "Will you be my Lady?" he asked.

"Are you sure?" Ruby still sounded hesitant. Thorin sighed and touched his forehead to hers.

"I don't know what it is that I'm feeling." He started to explain. "All I know is that you are the cause of it, and I'd like for it to grow."

Ruby whispered his name and kissed him. He could feel a smile on her lips as he embraced her. A sound from the hall made them part and look for its source. The whole company fell from behind a larger pillar. They cheered at their leader and companion, who was currently hiding her red face in his shoulder, a shy smile playing at her lips.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Kili was saying from under the pile of Dwarves. Bilbo was laughing along with the others and nodded at Ruby. He didn't know her for very long, but knew she had a kind heart. He trusted Thorin to take care of her.

"What is all this commotion?" Lord Elrond appeared with Gandalf. They saw Thorin's arm around Ruby's waist and the smiles on everyone's faces. They nodded their approval to ruby, sending a warning gaze to Thorin.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Gemez - Moonshine_

_ôlsogo - dream drink_


	6. Chapter 6

"Our business is no concern of Elves." Thorin was unwilling to leave Ruby's embrace, and now he was in one of the many halls in Rivendell with Gandalf, Lord Elrond, Balin, and Bilbo.

"For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map." The Wizard sighed, exasperated.

"It is the legacy of my people; it is mine to protect, as are its secrets." He would be damned if he asked the knife-ear for aid.

"Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarves. Your pride will be your downfall." Gandalf's patience was thinning. "You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle-earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond."

Thorin thought quietly for a few seconds, with everyone looking at him. He remembered Ruby saying something similar before, though much more aggressively. It might have been the Orc arrow in her shoulder. Making up his mind, Thorin handed the map to Elrond.

"Thorin, no!" Balin tried to stop him, but Thorin brushed him aside.

"Erebor. What is your interest in this map?" the Elf was saying.

"It's mainly academic." Gandalf interrupted Thorin before he could speak. "As you know, this sort of artefact sometimes contains hidden text. You still read Ancient Dwarvish, do you not?"

Lord Elrond walked a little bit away, looking at the map. As the moonlight hit the map, he realized something.

"_Cirth Ithil._"

"Moon runes. Of course. An easy thing to miss." Gandalf could have smacked himself.

"Well in this case, that is true; moon runes can only be read by the light of a moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written." The Elf explained.

"Can you read them?" Thorin was anxious.

"These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield; the same moon shines upon us tonight." Lord Elrond started translating the shining scripture. "Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo hadn't heard of it.

"It is the start of the Dwarves' new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together." Gandalf explained. This trip was vastly enriching for the young Hobbit's life.

"This is ill news. Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us." Thorin started pacing.

"We still have time." Balin counted the days in his head.

"Time? For what?" Bilbo asked. He wasn't informed of anything, and it nagged at his mind.

"To find the entrance." Balin turned to the Halfling. "We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened."

"So this is your purpose, to enter the Mountain." Lord Elrond did not seem pleased.

"What of it?" Thorin challenged the Elf to stop his plans to take back Erebor.

"There are some who would not deem it wise." The knife-ear struggled to keep his tone calm.

"Who do you mean?" Gandalf watched as the Dwarf-king took back the map gruffly.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-earth." The Elf smirked at the Wizard.

* * *

Ruby sat on the stone railing by her window and closed her eyes to the gentle shine of the moon. Her pipe was smoking in her hand, and somewhere in the back of her mind she made a note to stock up on tobacco before they left. The soft wind rustled through the leaves and lifted the smell of nature to her, blowing her hair away from her face. She listened to heavy thuds in the hall. Her senses weren't as keen as Elves', but she had to admit, Dwarves were too noisy for their own good. She kept her eyes closed as a knock came from the door and she bid the Dwarf in. The door closed behind him and she listened to silence. Frowning slightly in confusion, Ruby opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Thorin, icy blue eyes alight trained on her.

The moonlight shone from behind her to cast an eerie silver-blue glow on her dark locks, falling freely down her back. The fireplace cast its light on her pale face and that insidious red gleam shone from the depths of her eyes. The thick pipesmoke swirled around her in little whisps, disappearing into the night air.

"What?" she asked, a little uncomfortable at being stared at.

"Nothing." Thorin seemed to come out of a trance and stepped closer, each heavy thud of his boots sent a shiver down Ruby's spine. Ruby put her pipe down and turned in her seat to rest her feet back on the floor as he reached her, taking both her hands in his. "I have something for you." He said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the golden bracelet he had found in the troll cave. He had found the time to thoroughly clean and polish it, and it now shone in a warm glow in the light of the fireplace. Ruby's eyes were drawn to the chain as Thorin clasped it around her wrist.

"It's beautiful." She turned her wrist and studied the gems embedded in the golden chainwork.

"'Tis aught but a simple token that pales next to your beauty." He kissed her knuckles. In his time in Erebor, he had courted many Dwarf women, but never were his words so true. Ruby flushed, unaccustomed to being given such attention. Thorin stood toe to toe with her, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her head up to look at him.

Ruby was humbled by his gift, and stood on the tips of her toes to press her lips against his. Bending his knees, Thorin wrapped his arms around her thighs and lifted her above him, relishing in the faint giggle that escaped her lips before she dipped her head down to kiss him again. He walked them to her bed, carefully laying her down and caging her under him.

"You wear too much." She gripped at his shoulders. A low chuckle rumbled from his chest as she started discarding the material as if it had personally offended her. Not long after, he was surprised to find himself pressing back into the soft mattress, his chest bare and his boots somehow missing from his feet, a light press against his hips made him look down on himself to see Ruby perching on him, studying his form under her.

Thorin wasn't lithe, or elegant, or graceful. He was strong, bulky, tough and heavy. His arms quivered in anticipation as his hands rubbed over Ruby's thighs to grip her hips and stop the movements she hadn't noticed her body was making. She ran her own fingers from his broad shoulders down the expanse of solid muscles, covered by soft, dark hair that led her fingers down a trail to skim her fingers across his waistband. A sharp intake of breath made her raise her eyes to Thorin with a smug smirk across her lips, and she ground lightly down on the unbelievable thickness growing under her. A growl and a hand fisting her shirt made her eyes widen, but the smile only grew as Thorin ripped her shirt to shreds and glared at her corset.

He flipped them over, Ruby's thighs hugging his hipbones tightly as he studied her in turn. Her hair splayed out under her head, a rogue strand lay across her face, and with a delicacy that surprised even himself, he tucked it behind her ear. Replacing his hands back on her waist, he mused at the fact that her corset was not a simple span of fabric to give shape to her body, but a solid plate of thick, strong metal encased in soft fabric to protect her skin. The sheaths around the armour were stocked full of small throwing knives, and as he slid his hands under her back to unlace it, he found two larger daggers crossing at her back. He took a moment to steady his breathing. Ruby was a beautiful specimen, whatever her race may be, but a woman who dedicated herself so much to weaponry to the point of lounging and sleeping with them made the fire inside his chest roar with adoration.

He managed to peel the encasing off her torso, though not without cursing lowly in Khuzdul, much to Ruby's amusement. He carefully placed her armour on the floor, and all but pounced back on her, his lips finding the scar on her neck immediately. Tracing it down to her collarbone, he shivered as short nails buried themselves in his scalp.

Ruby mewled at the soft, tickling sensation of his beard as he lowered himself even more and took one of her nipples in his mouth, running his tongue over the sensitive tip. She felt a hand ghosting down her stomach to tug at her trousers. Lifting her hips, she aided in their removal and made to unbuckle Thorin's belt, but one strong hand held her wrists above her head.

"Thorin!" She glared up at him. A sparkle in his eyes alerted her to mischief, but her eyes rolled back as she felt his thick fingers working at her folds.

Thorin searched the wetness for a bundle of nerves and rubbed his thumb over the pert nub as the beauty below him jolted in surprise. He watched her face as he continued his ministrations, and chuckled as he took a nipple back in his mouth, just as a finger slid in her hot cavern, making her arch back and press her chest to his face.

Ruby writhed under the mass of muscles as she was stretched. Another finger joined its brother as a calloused thumb rubbed her clit, Thorin's teeth nipping at her breast. Soon, the heat gathering in her belly was too much to bear, and it bubbled up to her orgasm.

Thorin groaned, feeling her walls squeeze around his fingers, and pumped in rhythm until she calmed. Slipping his fingers from her, he saw they were slick and glistening to the knuckles. He let her wrists go and she lunged for his belt, his trouser all but yanked from his legs. Quivering limbs encased him, pulling him closer until the tip of his member nudged at her entrance. Angling his hips, he pushed inside slowly. He knew (and prided himself) of his girth, and allowed for her to adjust to him, but if her laboured breathing and her heels digging into his back were any indication, she did not need the time. Fully sheathing himself, he let out a low grunt, Ruby arching her back at the burning feeling between her thighs.

Setting a steady rhythm, Thorin pumped into her, gazing down at the pools of liquid red that stared back to him. They shone and glittered in shades he had not seen since Erebor, and the heat rising in the room reminded him even more of their quest, and how he had been a fool to oppose Ruby's participation in it. A rushing in his ears made him falter his movements and look to the fireplace, where the flames were licking outwards into the room. With a strong jerk, Ruby flipped them over, a dark look in her red eyes. Straddling the Dwarf, she kept up their rhythm from before, Thorin grasping her hips and aiding her movements with strong hands. The flames from the fireplace circled them, faster and faster, until Thorin felt Ruby pulsing around him, milking his seed from him, a breathless moan leaving her lips and the fire around them extinguishing, leaving the room in darkness as she collapsed on his chest.

Thorin buried his face in Ruby's hair and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she nuzzled his chest. Feeling her shiver at the cold air entering the room through the window, he pulled the covers over them and willed his thumping heart to calm.

"Did I satisfy you, _zabadinhuh_?" Thorin's voice rumbled in his chest under Ruby's ear. She looked up at him.

"Need you ask?" she looked around at the singed curtains and scorch marks on the walls. They shared a chuckle and nestled back into each other.

* * *

Ruby awoke with a start. Her head snapped up and her hands flew to her sides, frantically searching for her missing knives. It took a second for her to process that someone was calling her. Thorin still had an arm around her middle, stiff from caution as her violent movements woke him none too gently. Her breathing was ragged and quick, but she evened it out with practiced ease.

"What is it, _zabadinuh_?" he asked, concerned. His voice was still thick from sleep.

"Nothing, just a nightmare." She felt his arm coil around her waist and pull her down. She snuggled into his chest and sighed. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"No harm done." He rumbled under her ear. "This was the best night's sleep I've had in years." She could hear the smile in his voice as he caressed her back, hugging her slightly tighter to him. She hummed. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, kindly. "It might ease your mind."

She thought back to the nightmare. In her dreams, she felt the presence of an ancient power, though unknowing of its source. Large dark wings soared above all the places she had ever been in Arda, searching for something. She was never afraid in her dreams, at least not until the voices started screaming. She heard the sounds of agony and loss, and felt it deep in her heart that she had lost too, though she could not remember what, as hard as she tried. Roars of battle echoed in her mind, all the while, Arda's horizons were blackened by a shadow flying above, always seeking, always searching, always hunting for something unknown to her. The dream always ended with her confused by the search and scared by the voices.

"I don't really remember it anymore." She lied. Thorin's hands faltered. He had seen right through her, but he kept quiet, continuing to stroke her bare back.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked instead.

"A little sore, but we can get back on the road before midday, if that is your wish." She rolled the shoulder in question.

"No." He said, feeling her neat, dry stitches with his finger, humming in approval. "We'll wait for you to get these out, Wouldn't want you to tear them in the wild." She nodded, understanding, and closed her eyes, listening to the beat of his heart. Soon, his breathing evened out and his caresses stopped, his hand falling limply on the mattress. The blanket was tangled in their entwined legs, but Ruby shifted cautiously so as not to wake him, and managed to slip from the bed and get dressed without much noise.

Stepping onto the hallway and closing the door softly behind her, she made her way to the training grounds, where the Dwarves could be heard.

"Good morning, Ruby!" Fili called from where he was sparring with Dwalin, almost losing his footing as his focus faltered.

"Good morning." She called to the group of Dwarves, ignoring their knowing grins. They were all devoid of their usual armour, choosing to rest, even as they sparred in naught but their trousers tucked in their unbraced boots and thin tunics. She went through a series of exercises, until Fili asked her to teach him how to conceal the many daggers he had around his belt. Ruby jokingly suggested a corset, but they managed to find a way around his clothes to accommodate the many knives. They were different than the ones she was used to, hers being of her own design, mixing strong Dwarven steel and delicate Elven smithing, enchanted with spells worthy of Wizards, making sure her blades were strong, light, and always magically reappeared at their sheaths at an incantation learned many centuries ago. His were the traditional Dwarvish craft. Heavy, thick, and ugly (in her eyes), though nearly as sharp as hers.

They spent the rest of the morning discussing how to hide a weapon where and trained how to quickly access them, sparring with their daggers and training with their throwing knives, eventually competing with Kili's arrows at a target range. Fili had bested them, but they were all marksmen.

Somewhen in the middle of the morning, Aragorn had joined them, sitting in on a bench by the training grounds, a book in his hand. Ruby would often flick her eyes to him, until she outright turned her back on her duel with Fili as Dwalin approached her protégé, making the blond Dwarf successfully throw her to the ground on her stomach. Other than a grunt, she didn't move or speak, keeping her red eyes on Dwalin. The Dwarves had learned to connect the colour change to her emotions, and tensed as they all watched the strongest of them hand a training sword to the little boy, who looked up from his book, confused.

"You see that, lad?" Dwalin pointed to Ruby, still on her stomach with Kili's boot on her back. "She's too concerned over you to properly train. If this was the wild, she'd be dead." Aragorn's blue eyes turned alarmingly to Ruby, then back to Dwalin. "You need to show her you're capable of protecting yourself." He thrust the hilt of the dull training sword at the boy again, forcing him to grasp it.

As Ruby stood with the help of Fili, they watched as Dwalin went over the basics with the shorter boy. He was ahead in his lessons, a pleasant surprise, so the warrior Dwarf went on about correcting the boy's stance and practicing some moves with him, starting a slow, simple sparr, gradually speeding up, until the boy lost his sword and tripped over his own feet to fall on his behind, Dwalin's practice sword pointed at his chin. Fili had to physically hold Ruby back. The boy needed to learn, and the Dwarves knew no better teacher than Dwalin.

Dwalin lowered his sword as he studied the boy panting on the floor. He was small, still growing, but he did indeed see something in that boy, something..._strong_. "You need a lot of practice. Pull your nose out of those books and spend more time in these training grounds before you go off trying to live one of those stories." His words were harsh, making Ruby bristle next to the brothers, but she knew he was right, so she kept quiet. He offered a hand to pull the smaller body up. The boy's legs did not buckle, and there was no tremble to his lips, or wetness to his eyes. The child had absorbed the training into his bones like a dry sponge in a river and yearned for more. "You have the skill to be a great fighter, boy. Aye, you'll be a strong man." It was extremely rare for Dwalin to spew out compliments, Ruby knew this, and she puffed out her chest and raised her chin in pride as she smiled down at the tired approaching figure. Her eyes gradually went back to their loving chestnut tones as she watched a wide grin spread on Aragorn's face.

"Did you see me? Did you see me, _Dovahmiin_?" he was almost hopping in glee.

"_Zu'u los ful rinik zokah do hi, Mal Jun_." she ruffled his sweaty head. The boy bid them goodbye as he excused himself to visit his mother, a smile on his lips, protecting him from what he was about to face in the healing rooms.

"And you." Ruby turned to Dwalin, who was glowering at her. "Don't let anything distract you." He warned. Ruby smiled, knowing he was right, and fell into an easy stance as the Dwarf charged at her. He was bulky like an ox, making it easier for Ruby to twirl out of his way. They both threw and dodged punches, Ruby expertly dodging Dwalin's massive fists, and he, in turn, easily blocking her weaker hits. Her dodging was making him dizzy and frustrated, but he saw she was tired as well. When he saw her step closer to a stone about as large as his fist, he made to grab her right side, smirking as she did as he planned and stepped to her left, her foot catching on the stone, making her stumble...

Directly into Thorin's arms.

Ruby's hands stretched instinctively to cushion her fall, but landed on his broad chest instead. She squeaked as his arms snaked around her waist and her long fingers gripped aggressively at his arms, before she reminded herself she wasn't sparring anymore. Loosening her grip, she caressed the muscle under the thin dark blue shirt he wore with her thumbs, feeling him flex in a silent boast.

"Careful now." He chuckled.

"Thank you for catching me. You can let go now." She blushed at the stares and grins from the rest of the company.

"I don't think I want to." He raised his eyebrows amusedly at her flustered shyness.

"Thorin..." her plead sent a shock of arousal straight through him, her tone so similar to the one she had used last night, writhing under him. He promptly grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her to crash his lips against hers, kissing her brazenly in front of his whole company. A blatant display of possessiveness. The Dwarves around them cheered and clapped, Ruby flushing in embarrassment.

"You left me." Thorin pulled back, muttering lowly under the whistles and catcalls as he placed a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. He could not disguise the slight hurt in his voice.

"You needed rest." She ran her thumb over the line where his beard started. Thorin gazed at her and portrayed his thanks through a kiss to her wrist.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Zu'u los ful rinik zokah do hi, mal jun. - I am so very proud of you, little king._


	7. Chapter 7

The Dwarves were having a late-night party in their quarters. They roasted what little sausages they had left over a fire made by burning more Elvish furniture. This afternoon's dip in the fountain had refreshed them, if only to attract more glares from the Elves. Ruby had heard enough of Lord Elrond to bless her timing, as she had chosen to train with him that afternoon. She now sat on a small mountain of cushions by Kili, both enjoying their pipes. Kili was playing with one of her knives as she cleaned the others.

Bofur smelled at the sweet meat, oh, how he missed it. No wonder the Elves were so skinny, only eating rabbit-food. He heard a creak and looked up, seeing a heavy Bombur sitting on a bench and eating a large bowl of food. He looked at his sausage thoughtfully.

"Bombur!" he called.

As Bombur looked up, Bofur threw him the sausage. Bombur caught it, but the weight of the sausage was just too much for the bench, and it broke, sending a shrieking Bombur to the floor, along with all his food. The Dwarves laughed uproariously.

Thorin decided to join them after having overheard Gandalf and Lord Elrond on his way over. He sat with a sigh next to Ruby, who looked at him worriedly. Lord Elrond's words were heavy on his mind, and he vowed no not succumb to the same madness his ancestors had.

"You okay?" Ruby murmured quietly to him.

"I'm fine." He said gruffly, and immediately regretted it, as her face fell and she looked away. He sighed and took her hand. "Walk with me?" he stood and helped her up, both bidding good night to the company and walking back to her room. "I'm sorry, _zabadinhuh_, it's just so much to—"

"What does that mean?" she half-laughed.

"It means 'my lady'." He said as they entered her room and she started a fire with a flick of her wrist.

"I told you, Thorin, I'm not a Lady." She turned to him and stood akimbo. "Unless you want to carry me around on a perfumed cushion until we get to Erebor, I suggest yo—AHH!"

Thorin had grabbed one of the cushions on her bed and swooped it behind her, lifting her up with one strong arm. She expertly balanced herself.

"Like so?" he looked up at her. She was as light as grass to him, and he admired the way her body tilted to keep balance as he carried her to the bed. Setting her down, he rested his hands on her hips and looked her deep in the eyes, chestnut connecting with ice. "You _are_ my Lady now." He said. "I wish I could court you the way I could in Erebor, shower you with trinkets, and festive dinners, show you the riches of my home." He sighed as he sat on his heels.

"I do not care for the riches of Erebor." Ruby took his face in her hands and made him look back at her. "A trinket, even though as beautiful as it is," she said, looking briefly at her wrist, "is just that. I would be honoured to know your home for its stories and memories, for I have no home of my own to share with you."

"I _will_ take back Erebor, and it shall be your home as well as mine, this I swear to you." Thorin grasped her wrists softly and kissed her hands.

"Your burden is too heavy, Thorin." She said softly as she caressed his beard. "I fear for you."

"You give me even more reason to reclaim my home." He said. "_Our_ home." He wiped a tear from her cheek.

"You are too good to me." Ruby whispered as she pulled the front of his shirt and pressed their lips together. Though Thorin tried to be gentle, it was his nature to be rough and gruff, and Ruby did not mind. "I am not a doll, Thorin." She said as he restrained himself for the third time. "I know you won't hurt me." She encouraged him. In one swift movement, her trousers lay on the floor, ripped at the seams, shortly followed by her shirt and his clothes. He reverently ran a calloused hand down her side, and at her shiver and soft whisper of his name flipped her over and in one swift thrust buried himself hilt-deep between her hot folds. He stilled himself with great difficulty, and kissed her shoulder.

"_Zabadinhuh_?" he pulled her hair away from her ear to see her flushed face.

"Thorin..." her expression puzzled him. He should have been more careful, and regretting his harsh actions, started to pull out, an apology barely slipping his lips when a hand snapped over her shoulder and grabbed the hair on the back of his head. "Don't you _dare_." She grinded harshly back onto his hips, making him hiss. He wrapped his arm around her middle, helping support her, while his other held them both up. They started a quick, strong pace, and soon, Ruby let go of his hair to hold the headboard. He slid his hand up to her breasts and pinched a nipple, her moans escalating and bringing shivers down his spine.

With a strong pull, he brought her flush against his chest as he knelt on the bed, making her legs spread wide to accommodate his broad hips as she rode him, the sweat on her back mingling with the beads running down his chest. His left hand guided her hips as her pace faltered, he knew she was close to release. His right hand slid over the lean muscles on her stomach and over the soft downy shadow between her legs, searching for that pert nub. When a thick, calloused finger finally found its mark, she jolted, almost making him slip out of her.

"Easy, _zabadinhuh_." He rumbled in her ear, making her whimper and turn her head to capture his lips in a sloppy kiss. He continued his ministrations, and soon, she screamed hoarsely in that strange language he heard her speak before, and spasmed on his lap, milking his seed from him and going limp, her head thrown back over his shoulder, her body a white arch in the moonlight. Thorin felt himself go limp inside her, but still did not move, his fingers coated in both their juices gave him an idea. He pressed down on the still sensitive nub, his left hand rising from her hip to hold her body against his as she snapped forward with a moan. He repeated the action and felt her contract painfully around him, but did not stop. Her body jolted and quivered as whispers in that strange tongue reached his ears, his name thrown in a few times. He finally made her convulse again, her limbs heavy after a second orgasm, a lazy smile on her face.

Thorin slipped out of her, chuckling at her weak whine at the loss, and coaxed her under the covers. He made to rise to grab the cloth in the wash basin, but Ruby pulled him to her. He saw a stream of water float to the fireplace, swirling over the flames a few seconds, before it disappeared under the covers. He felt the warm water softly clean away his sweat and their combined juices, then leaving his skin to be thrown by Ruby's invisible force out the window. He was left clean, dry and amazed.

"You are amazing." He voiced. She merely chuckled and snuggled to his chest.

"You're not so bad yourself. _Hi wahl dii kopraan tahmus wah hi ol trin nukaas dreh niil in._"

"What is that strange language that you speak?" he asked, tracing a scar on her back, remembering her speaking with the little boy in the library.

"I'm not sure." She shivered at his touch and he pulled her closer against him, lifting the covers higher. "I've always known it. Does it bother you?" she rested her chin on his shoulder and looked at him.

"No, I was just curious." He kissed her softly and settled on the pillow. "Sleep, _zabadinhuh_, tomorrow the day starts early."

* * *

"Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on." Thorin stood to the side as Balin took the front. "Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up." He scolded the Halfling lagging behind. Ruby went back for him under Thorin's watchful eye.

She had bid farewell in secret to Aragorn, and he had held back tears at her swift departure, but after a promise of returning with gifts and stories, they had left before the Elves could notice.

They had covered an impressive amount of the way in their haste and eagerness to put as much distance between themselves and Rivendell, until the trail became narrow and dangerous, with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop on the other. With a fierce storm in the air, lightning and rain all around, they went on slower than expected.

"Hold on!" Drenched to the bone, Thorin tried to keep his eyes on the path and on every member of his company, which was proving to be difficult. "We must find shelter!" his throat caught as he saw Dwalin pull Bilbo back from the edge.

The Dwarves looked up and saw a massive boulder hurtling through the air hitting the mountainside above them, causing rocks to fall all around them as they pressed themselves against the mountain.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin pointed.

A stone giant reared up from a nearby mountain, ripping off a boulder from the top and throwing it at another.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur yelled.

"Take cover: you'll fall!" Thorin shouted.

"What's happening?" Kili looked wildly around, his wet hair falling in his eyes.

"Kili! Grab my hand! Ki—" Fili reached to his brother as they were separated, Ruby pulling Kili back as Thorin held on to Fili. They lost sight of one another.

"No! No! Kili! Ruby!" Thorin called. He did not notice the tears on his already wet face as he ran to where the other half of the company had been crushed. He visibly sagged in relief as they saw them in a heap, groaning and cursing.

"We're all right! We're alive!" Balin called.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" Bofur was counting heads.

"There!" Ori pointed.

"Get him!" Dwalin lay on his stomach and reached to the Hobbit hanging onto the edge of the cliff. He slipped and fell a few more feet before his hands found something to grasp on to. Thorin swung down on the cliff next to Bilbo and boosted him up, where the others pulled him to safety. Dwalin tried to lift Thorin back up too, but he lost his grip and began falling too, until a small hand grasped his sleeve. He looked up to see Ruby clinging on to the fabric on his arm, her knuckles white, her legs around a red faced Dwalin's neck. They pulled each other up with much effort, and Ruby clung onto Trorin's neck as he caught his breath, wrapping her in his arms.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin was still red in the face.

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come." He reluctantly let go of Ruby after assuring her with his gaze that he was fine. "He has no place amongst us. Dwalin!" he called and went off to find a cave.

"It looks safe enough." Dwalin commented.

"Search to the back; caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied." Thorin ordered, heading back to call the others.

"Thorin." Dwalin felt a need to apologise. Ruby had caught him by surprise, and he did not want the guilt of having her legs wrapped around his neck without an explanation. His King seemed to know what he was thinking.

"All is well, Dwalin." He assured the other Dwarf with a friendly clap on the shoulder. "As long as it doesn't happen in any condition different than this." He warned with a squeeze of his fingers.

Dwalin nodded and searched the cave with a lantern in relief. "There's nothing here."

"Right then! Let's get a fire started." Gloin dropped a bundle of wood on the floor and rubbed his hands.

"No, no fires, not in this place." Thorin held out his hand to Ruby, who stepped closer and accepted it, letting him pull her to him. "Can you dry us?" he asked. She nodded and concentrated for a moment before the water fled from their clothes and hair, disappearing out the cave entrance. "Get some sleep. We start at first light."

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan." Balin overcame his awe first.

"Plans change. Bofur, take the first watch." Thorin settled on his sleeping mat with Ruby by his side. She snuggled to his wolf pelt and splayed her hand on his chest, throwing her right leg over his.

"You scared me." She whispered as the others lay down.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, _zabadinhuh._" He threaded his fingers through her hair. "Though you were reckless, I thank you for your aid."

"Dwalin looked like a tomato." She sniggered into his neck. "You know that was just for support, right?" she whispered in his ear. "I would never betray you."

Thorin shivered slightly at her warm breath on his skin and willed his body to calm. Images of passed nights were still fresh on his memory.

"I trust you." He said lowly, looking in her eyes. "And Dwalin." She seemed satisfied with his answer and pecked him on the lips, settling down on his shoulder. Thorin liked the warmth she provided him with and willed himself to calm. After only two hours of rest, he gave up on sleeping that night. Ruby was constantly muttering in that strange tongue of hers, and gripping at his chest almost painfully. Even though he knew her to be having a nightmare, he battled with himself whether he should wake her or leave her to get the little rest she could. He saw Bilbo gather his things and try to sneak out. '_Good_.' He thought. '_This quest is no place for him_.' He couldn't hear the whispers from the end of the cave, but a soft murmur caught his attention.

"_Zu'u fen ni lif hi_." Ruby had a frown on her face, her hands clutched at his fur. "_Dreh ni bo kolos Zu'u vis ni kiibok_." Thorin rubbed her back, the obvious distress in her voice worrying him. He had never paid attention to her cursing, but he now wished to understand what burdened her so. "Thorin, _nid! Dreh ni ofan ko! Krif_!" At hearing his name, he lightly shook her.

"Ruby?" he watched her eyes snap open. He was alarmed at her movements as her hands blurred in their speed as she took her two preferred daggers and held them out above them. _Protecting_ _him_. He lay very still. She seemed to calm and realize where she was and relaxed, though still a little shaky. "Did you have a bad dream, _zabadinhuh_?"

"I—Thorin!" she snapped out of her thoughts and let her daggers clatter noisily to the floor. She held his face. "You're fine." Tears brimmed on the corners of her eyes.

"Of course I'm fine." He took her hands. "Ruby, what is it?" he tried to make out any words that came out of her mouth, but her quick whispers were foreign to him.

"What's that?" Bofur interrupted them. Thorin raised his head from Ruby's grasp as he heard strange machinery noises and saw cracks form in the sand on the floor of the cave.

"Wake up. Wake up!" the few Dwarves that were not roused by Ruby's incessant fretting over him jolted awake as the floor of the cave collapsed downwards. The entire Company fell down a chute, sliding through a tunnel, and landing in a giant wooden cage. As they struggled to get up, a horde of Goblins attacked them, dragging them all away. The combined shock and disorientation of the fall had them defenceless.

* * *

_Transalations:_

_Hi wahl dii kopraan tahmus wah hi ol trin nukaas dreh niil in. - You make my body react to you as string puppet to its master._

_Zu'u fen ni lif hi. - I won't leave you._

_Dreh ni bo kolos Zu'u vis ni kiibok. - Do not go where I can not follow._

_Thorin, nid! Dreh ni ofan ko! Krif! - Thorin, no! Do not give in! Fight!_


	8. Chapter 8

The Goblin horde led the Dwarves through a vast network of tunnels and wooden bridges to what seemed to be a throne room. Sitting on the throne, holding a mace topped with a skull, was the largest, ugliest Goblin Ruby had ever seen. On a platform higher up, more Goblins were making what they seemed to call music. The racket hurt Ruby's sensitive ears.

"I feel a song coming on." The large Goblin mused.

_"__Snip snap, the black crack  
__Grip, grab, pinch, and nab  
__Batter and beat  
__Milk 'em, stammer and squeak!  
__Pound pound, far underground  
__Down, down, down in Goblin Town_

_With a swish and smack  
__And a whip and a crack  
__Everybody talks when they're on our rack  
__Pound pound, far underground  
__Down, down, down in Goblin Town  
_

_Hammer and torch, get out your knockers and gongs  
__You won't last long on the end of my prongs  
__Clish, clash, crush and smash  
__Bang, break, shiver and shake  
__You can yell and yelp  
__But there ain't no help  
__Pound pound, far underground  
__Down, down, down in Goblin Town"_

Ruby was still shaken from her nightmare and ignored the dark lyrics as best as she could while she searched the group with her eyes. She saw Thorin counting his fellow Dwarves just as she was, and relief flooded his eyes as they landed on her. She gave him a slight nod and a forced smile.

One of the Goblins had ventured closer and was inching his blade closer to Kili's back, who was standing in front of her. She kicked the ugly little beast off the platform and stood protectively by the younger brothers.

"Catchy, isn't it?" said the Goblin King. "It's one of my own compositions."

"That's not a song, it's an abomination!" cried Balin.

"Abominations, mutations, deviations…that's all you're gonna find down here", the Goblin King replied amusedly.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my Kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" the great Goblin changed his light demeanour to aggressiveness, and was now assessing the group before him. Ruby held in a snort at the last accusation. Kili nudged her. She locked eyes with him and his brother, and though their faces were stoic, their eyes twinkled in laughter.

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence." A Goblin answered.

"Dwarves?" the Goblin King looked through their group and spotted Ruby. "And a Lady!"

"We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them!" he turned his eyes to Ruby once more with a sickening grin. "Every crack, every crevice."

Ruby shuddered and fought off the stinking little fingers at her waist as best as she could as the pile of weapons grew at their feet.

As they emptied out a large bag of what appeared to be Elvish cutlery and candlesticks, the Goblin King examined a gold candelabra and turned it over.

"Made in Rivendell?" he read. "Bah–Second Age, couldn't give it away!" he exclaimed, and tossed it aside.

Nori had a guilty expression on his face as Oin turned to look at him.

"Just a couple of keepsakes." he explained. Ruby suppressed a snort

"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" the Goblin King asked. "No tricks! I want the truth! Warts and all!"

None of the Dwarves responded. Thorin started to step forward, but Oin was faster.

"You're going to have to speak up." He said. "Your boys have flattened my trumpet".

"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" The Goblin King was not amused, so Bofur stepped up and started telling some cockamamie story about their path.

"If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to!" The Goblin King paused. "We were on the road…well, it's not so much a road as a path…actually, it's not even that, come to think of it, it's more like a track." The Goblin King was nodding, but his patience was wearing thin. "Anyway, the point is we were on this road, like a path, like a track, and then we weren't! Which is a problem, because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."

"Shut up!" the King interrupted. Bofur seemed like he was going to keep talking, but Ruby's small hand at his back made him close his mouth. "If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." He then seemed to change his mind. "No. The Lady."

"Wait." Thorin's voice echoed throughout the cave as he stepped in front of her.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." The Great Goblin bowed exaggeratedly. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a King. Which makes you nobody, really." They stood in silence, Ruby's hand on Thorin's arm a comforting warmth. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg."

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago." Thorin quipped.

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you? Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize." The fat King said to a scrawny looking Goblin in a seat hanging by a rope. "And quite possibly his weakness." He turned to Ruby.

"_Bones will be shattered,  
__necks will be wrung!  
__You'll be beaten and battered,  
__from racks you'll be hung.  
__You will lie down here and never be found,  
__down in the deep of Goblin-town_."

The King sung merrily as he plucked Ruby from Thorin's side. "Hello, there." Ruby tried very hard not to fight back and remain calm. She sensed a familiar force coming closer, and had to time her attack precisely. "Quite a beauty you've found yourself, Thorin." He shook her from the arm he was holding her. Ruby caught Thorin's eyes and winked.

One of the Goblins was examining their weapons and came across Thorin's sword, sliding it a few inches out of its sheath. Recognizing the sword, he gasped in horror and threw it down. It landed in view of all the Goblins. Also recognizing it, the Goblins howled in fear and rage as they retreated from it. The Great Goblin ran rapidly to his throne, trampling many Goblins on his way, now holding Ruby's waist in his fat fist.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks. Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" the Goblin King turned to Ruby, still in his fist. He started squeezing. "And you..."

"Thorin, no!" Ruby reached out to him as Goblins whipped viciously at him, bringing him down and restraining him, and one of them pulled out his knife and prepared to behead him. At the level of hostility towards him, she saw red. A fireball knocked the three Goblins around him into the abyss, and another made the King release her with a heavy thud to the floor. Thorin scrambled up to her, quickly feeling her ribs and sighing in relief as none seemed to be broken. She was inspecting the gashes on his arm made by the goblin's whips.

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion of bright light, the sounds around them muting as a shockwave ripped through the area, flinging Goblins in the air and destroying the torturing machines. Everyone was knocked down, including the Great Goblin. When the force of the explosion passed, most of the lights in the area had been snuffed out.

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" Gandalf called to them.

"He wields the Foe-Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!" the Goblin King yelled.

Thorin was being dragged up by Ruby, who had apparently been expecting the Wizard. The Dwarves quickly got up and began fighting the Goblins. Bofur was throwing the Dwarves' weapons back to them. A large ladle flew over Ruby's head and Bombur caught it, using it as a glorified warhammer.

"You cook with that?" Ruby threw a knife at a Goblin who tried to attack the fat Dwarf from behind. Said Dwarf whacked two others next to her.

"Not anymore!" they laughed and continued fighting, until a sharp yank from behind her head made Ruby fall on her ass. Then, the pull on her hair suddenly disappeared and she was able to look back. A skinny Goblin was holding a tuft of her dark locks in its hand, a knife in the other. Ruby was livid.

"You did _not_ just cut my hair." She stepped closer to the ugly creature, who seemed to pale, looking nervously at her, then at his hand. "You better hope for your pathetic little life that is _not_ my hair in your hand." The creature nervously shook his head, hiding the locks behind his back.

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf was leading the Dwarves away.

"Fili!" Thorin called back. "Get Ruby!"

The blond Dwarf all but dragged the woman away from the fight.

"I will rip out your jaw and make you dig your own grave with it, you _pook, tekar, mal sivaas! Hi fen sov enook waking hind Zu'u lost krii hi! __Zu'u mindok kolos hi lahney! Zu'u mindok kolos hi laag_!"

The company fled, leaving the cowering Goblin behind. Cutting down the Goblins around them, the Dwarves and Gandalf ran along a pathway leading away from the throne room, Ruby's cursing in her foreign language a reminder that they were all there.

Dwalin saw several Goblins running at them from their front and an idea struck him.

"Post!" he yelled. He and some of the Dwarves cut a guardrail post from the side of the path and they held it out in front of them like a massive spear. "Charge!" charging at the oncoming Goblins and sweeping them away with the long rail, they saw Ruby slink past them, gusts of wind aiding them in sweeping the Goblins from their paths as she took up the lead. Dwalin pulled out his axes and began knocking aside the Goblins that dared come too close to her. The rest of the company did the same. Gloin hit one Goblin who fell and landed on another suspended path, breaking the path and dropping all the Goblins on it into the darkness below. Several Goblins snarled as they swung on ropes toward the Dwarves.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin ordered.

As Kili fought, several Goblins started shooting arrows at him. He deflected some arrows with his sword, then grabbed a nearby ladder and dropped it on the oncoming Goblins. Kili and some of the other Dwarves ran forward, pushing the ladder and the Goblins it had trapped in front of them. As they approached a missing area of the path, the Goblins fell down into the darkness; the ladder, however, acted as a bridge for the Dwarves to cross to the rest of the path. As soon as they crossed it, Dwalin broke the ladder, preventing the Goblins chasing them from crossing it.

"Quickly!" Gandalf urged as Ruby brought an arch of fire over them to reduce the rain of arrows to ash.

They continued running through the maze-like paths, until they got on a section of the way suspended by ropes from above. Kili sliced some ropes, and the pathway swung away from the rest of the path, approaching a different one.

"Jump!" Thorin yelled.

Several of the Dwarves managed to jump to the other path, however, before the rest could, the suspended path swung back like a pendulum to where it started, and several Goblins leapt on. As the it swung back again, the rest of the company managed to jump to the new path as well, cutting the ropes, causing the swinging platform and the Goblins on it to fall. They continued running through the tunnels, killing all the Goblins in their way. Gandalf struck a rock above them with his staff, causing it to fall down and begin rolling in front of the Company, squashing all the Goblins in their way.

"Thorin!" Ruby looked back at him and threw another knife. The Dwarf was alarmed at her hostility, only to realize she was aiming at a Goblin behind him. "Pay attention!" she scolded.

"Stay with Fili and Kili." He ordered as he passed her. His nephews were lagging behind, too much in the heat of battle to keep up with the group. Ruby was faster than any of them, and was running out to meet the Goblins away from their protection. _His_ protection. He hoped that putting the three together might balance out their speed.

Soon, they approached a bridge between two walls of the cavern. As they tried to cross it, the Great Goblin suddenly broke through from underneath the bridge and pulled himself up in front of the Company. As the Company paused, hundreds of Goblins approached them from all sides.

"You thought you could escape me?" the Goblin King taunted, swinging his mace twice at Gandalf, causing him to stumble back and almost fall. "What are you going to do now, Wizard?"

Gandalf leapt forward and struck the Great Goblin in the eye with his staff, who dropped his mace and clutched his face in pain. The Wizard stepped forward and sliced the Great Goblin in the belly, making him fall to his knees, clutching his wound.

"That'll do it." Were his last words before Gandalf again swung his sword and sliced the Great Goblin's neck. His weight caused the bridge to start shaking. Suddenly, the section of the bridge on which the company was standing broke away from the rest of the bridge and started sliding down the side of the cavern.

"Ruby! Keep us steady!" Gandalf ordered. Fili and Kili clung to the wooden railing and each stretched out a hand to hold on to the cuff of one of Ruby's boots as she spread her arms and sent gusts of wind to keep the bridge level as it slid at a terrific speed down the cavern's wall, demolishing everything in its way. The Dwarves clung on, shouting, but Bofur's screams of terror almost made Ruby laugh. The bridge slowed down and landed at the base of the cavern, breaking apart and burying the Dwarves in the timber and wood. Gandalf got up from the pile of wreckage and inspected the rest of the Dwarves, who were still stuck in the wreckage.

"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur tried to cover up the fact that he had been shrieking like a little girl. Suddenly, the heavy corpse of the Great Goblin landed on the wreckage, squishing the Dwarves further. They cried out in pain.

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin groaned next to Kili, who still had a firm grasp of Ruby's boot. But Ruby's foot was not in it.

"Ruby?" he called.

"She's here!" Fili called from under the wood. As they struggled, Ruby's foreign curses were almost soothing to their ears. Kili relaxed back and waited for the weight to lift before he dislodged himself from the pile.

"I have your boot." He called. A grunt was heard above him as her head popped out of the pieces of wood, Fili's right next to hers. They were both dishevelled, but Ruby's hair was a mess, splinters of wood sticking out of it. He snorted in laughter and regretted it immediately as she shook her hair right above his face, the aforementioned wood and bits of Goblin falling on him. She contorted herself trying to wriggle out of her wooden encasing, but neither her nor Fili were any closer to freedom as he was.

Thorin came over and grasped his nephew's hands in his and pulled the blond Dwarf out before turning to Ruby. Her shirt had ripped in the fall, one pale shoulder and the top of her corset visible and shining with sweat, little cuts littering her skin. The top half of her left breast was starting to push out of its confinements.

"Now is not the time, Thorin!" she scolded. Kili was becoming red in the face, even having bathed with her. He wondered what his uncle might think if he knew. Averting his eyes as more of her lithe body was pulled out of the wood, he looked up and saw thousands of Goblins running at them.

"Gandalf!" he struggled to get free, accepting his uncle's help as Ruby put her boot back on.

"There's too many! We can't fight them." Dwalin called.

"Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on! Here, on your feet!" Gandalf led them away. "Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve...and Bombur, that makes thirteen. Ruby, where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our Hobbit?!" he called, looking around the woods.

"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin also looked around.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin pointed

"Don't blame me!"

"Well, where did you last see him?" Ruby asked.

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Nori remembered.

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf demanded.

"I'll tell you what happened."Thorin stepped closer. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

"No, he isn't." Bilbo stepped from behind a tree.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf laughed.

Bilbo strode forward into the group, patting Balin affectionately on the shoulder.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili mused.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?!" Fili asked.

"How, indeed." Dwalin was sceptical.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Ruby knew enough of the old Wizard to recognize that tone. He knew something. She had learned long ago not to question further when that tone was used.

"It matters!" Thorin, did not. "I want to know. Why _did_ you come back?"

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden." Bilbo admitted. "See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, 'cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

As the Dwarves thought about Bilbo's words, Thorin turned his attention to Ruby. She was fretting over her hair and shirt, much to his nephew's amusements. Their brief relief was interrupted by a warg call.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin murmured.

* * *

_Translations:_

_pook, tekar, mal sivaas! Hi fen sov enook waking hind Zu'u lost krii hi! Zu'u mindok kolos hi lahney! Zu'u mindok kolos hi laag! - stinking, hideous, little beast! You will spend each waking moment wishing I had killed you! I know where you live! I know where you sleep!_


	9. Chapter 9

"...and into the fire!" Gandalf finished. "Run! RUN!"

They all ran down the mountain as fast as they could. Ruby easily passed them, reaching a large outcropping of land with a few trees growing on it. They were trapped there, on a cliff. She made to turn back to warn them, but they had already caught up to her.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb!" Gandalf called.

Bifur threw an axe, killing a Warg that was approaching him. Bofur jumped off a rock and grabbed a tree branch, using Dwalin's head as a stepping stone to the tree, much to his displeasure. Other Dwarves began climbing into the trees as well. Bilbo was lagging behind, trying to pull his sword out of the dead Warg's head, but it was stuck firmly.

"They're coming!" Thorin called. "Ruby, get back here!" he shouted as the woman sprinted back to Bilbo, yanking his sword out of the warg's skull and dragging them both up a tree.

Gandalf climbed to the top of the furthest tree. Dwalin boosted Balin up. Thorin, Bombur, and the rest climbed up trees too. The main body of wargs and warg Riders approached. Dozens of Wargs circled the trees in which the Company members were perched.

"Gandalf!" Ruby called. She pointed to a branch near his head. Gandalf reached out with his staff and picked up a moth sitting there. Bringing the moth close to his face, he whispered to it, then blew on it gently, causing it to flutter away.

The Wargs ceased their growling and turned as the White Warg, with Azog on its back, approached slowly. Thorin looked at Azog in shock.

"Azog?!" He could not believe his eyes.

_"__Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast? Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob."_ The pale Orc sneered.

"It cannot be." Thorin whispered.

_"__Kod, Toragid biriz. Worori-da!"_ At his command, the Wargs leapt forward and tried to climb the trees. They jumped as high as they could, scrabbling at the tree trunks and breaking apart branches with their jaws in their efforts. The trees shook violently at the assault, and the Dwarves struggled to hold on.

_"__Sho gad adol!"_

With the weight of the Wargs climbing it, the furthest tree from the edge of the cliff got uprooted from the ground and began leaning wildly. As more Wargs grabbed on to it, the tree tipped over and landed on the next tree, the Dwarves jumping from one falling tree to the next as they tipped into each other like dominoes, falling over one by one. The company managed to jump onto the last tree, on the very edge of the cliff. Azog's laughs reached their ears. Looking around in desperation, Gandalf spied a pinecone. Grabbing it and using his staff to set the pinecone on fire, he threw it down amid the Wargs, who retreated in fear of the fire.

"Fili!" Gandalf threw a pinecone to him. Fili caught the pinecone and held it out as Bilbo and the Dwarves gathered pinecones of their own as Gandalf and Ruby set them on fire. The area around the tree was blazing, thanks to their makeshift bombs, forcing the Wargs to retreat a distance. Ruby smirked as at least one Warg galloped away with its fur alight. Azog roared in anger and frustration as the Dwarves cheered. Suddenly, their cheers turned into cries of fear as the roots of the tree they were in started to give way. The tree tipped precariously over the edge of the cliff, but came to a rest sticking straight out away from the edge of the cliff. Ori lost his grip on the tree and started to fall, but managed to grab on to Dori's leg.

"Mister Gandalf!" Dori called as his grip too, slipped, but Gandalf quickly swung his staff down and Dori grabbed on to the end of it. "Hold on, Ori!" he called down.

Ruby saw Thorin pull himself up, his sword drawn, balancing on the tree trunk. He ran through the burning ground at Azog and his White Warg. Azog spread his arms wide with a smug grin on his face. Thorin growled as he ran with his sword up and his oaken branch shield held in front of him. Azog crouched, then roared as his Warg leapt at Thorin, who tried to swing his sword, but the Warg hit him in the chest with its forepaw, smashing Thorin to the ground.

"Thorin!" Ruby hung from a branch by her left hand, her right one trying to control the fire away from their tree. There was no way she could strike Azog without leaving herself and the others open for attack.

Thorin managed to get back on his feet, panting. Azog and his White Warg wheeled around, charging at him again. Azog swung his mace and smashed Thorin in the face before he could react. Ruby watched as his body was brutally flung to the ground by the impact.

At Thorin's yells of pain, Dwalin tried to get off the tree to assist his King, but the tree branch he and Ruby were holding on to broke, swinging them precariously over the edge and preventing him from reaching Thorin. Ruby lost control of the fire, that now turned to them and the yet unburnt tree.

"Thorin! No!" Dwalin called.

"Stop flailing around, you'll kill us both!" Ruby snapped and reached her hand down to him, aware of the fire edging closer. Dwalin glared at her, but grabbed her hand, and with much effort they both managed to get to solid ground, where Fili and Kili were already fighting off the wargs that neared the line of dying fire

"A little help, Ruby!" Kili called.

"Get behind me!" she stood shakily and raised her hands as another warg stepped closer at the Dwarves' retreat. A burst of flames threw it to the side as the fire roared stronger. They cleared a path and saw Bilbo standing protectively in front of a passed out Thorin, waving his little pig stick at the beasts. "No! Thorin!" Ruby sprinted to him, leading the three Dwarves into a flurry of wargs, Orcs and flames, forming a protective circle around them.

Ruby was aware of tears in her eyes as her vision became blurry, but that did not hinder her from fighting. Soon, large talons appeared behind her, and she calmed the flames to let a giant eagle lift Thorin up into the air. She counted as one by one the Dwarves were plucked to safety and stepped to the cliffside. She sneered at Azog as her body fell backwards onto another eagle's back.

"Turn around." She whispered into the wind. The eagle sensed what she was doing and fanned the flames with its wings, causing an inferno fueled by Ruby's power. She watched as they flew away, dawn nearing slowly as the eagles flew them to safety.

* * *

"Thorin! Thorin." Gandalf called as they were deposited on a large rock. The Wizard made his way to the still body of their leader. He placed his hand on Thorin's face and whispered a spell. Thorin's eyes fluttered open and he gasped for air.

"The halfling?" He spoke weakly.

"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe." Gandalf assured him as Dwalin and Kili helped Thorin up. He shrugged them off and approached Bilbo.

"You! What were you doing?" he pointed a finger at the Hobbit. "You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" Thorin advanced until he was face to face with Bilbo, who looked worried and frightened. "I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin finished with a weak laugh, grabbing Bilbo and embracing him deeply. The other Dwarves cheered loudly and slapped each other on the back. Gandalf smiled in satisfaction. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugged Thorin back. "I am sorry I doubted you."

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar." Bilbo agreed.

The last eagle fluttered down, lowering its wing to let Ruby slide down. She gently pat it in thanks and stepped back as it flew away.

"Ruby!" Thorin released Bilbo and nearly sprinted to her, the Dwarves stepping away from his path. They watched with smiles on their faces as Thorin picked her up by her waist and spun her around, gently setting her down again. What they did not expect, was the resounding _whack_ as she slapped Thorin across the face.

"What were you _thinking_?" she shrieked. "You can't go after Azog alone, Thorin! We're all in this together!" Thorin slowly turned his head back to look at her red face. "You were reckless, and stupid, and proud, oh! I told you it would get you killed!"

"Rub—" Thorin held her waist even though her fists were pounding mercilessly on his chest.

"I'm not finished!" tears ran freely from her eyes. "You foolish, dense, unreasonable _oaf_!" she held his face and touched their foreheads together. "I can't lose you." She whispered as her thumbs caressed the lines between his cheeks and where his beard started. "_Hi los dii hil. Waan Zu'u saan hi, Zu'u dir._" a series of other words were said in that strange language, but to Thorin she might as well have been blubbering. He sensed the distress in her voice and his heart clenched, knowing he had caused it.

"I'm sorry, _zabadinhuh_." He wiped her tears away and looked helplessly at her frowning at him. "I was not thinking."

"Damn right, you weren't." She sniffed. "You could have jeopardized the whole quest. Because of your pride and wish for revenge you could have cost them their home!" she looked to the group of flabbergasted Dwarves. A tiny woman was scolding their King.

"You are right." Thorin turned to the company. "My actions were not fitting for a leader." He proclaimed. "I apologize for worrying and putting you in danger. I shall think better before I act."

"No worries lad." Balin nodded. "We understand." The rest of the company murmured in agreement.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo was looking in the opposite direction. In the distance, on the horizon, they turned to see the outline of a single, solitary mountain.

"Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle-earth." Gandalf smiled.

"Our home." Thorin had a faraway look on his face.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain." Oin pointed at a bird.

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf corrected.

"We'll take it as a sign. A good omen." Thorin grinned triumphantly at the horizon.

"You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us." Bilbo mused.

* * *

They had made their way down from the stone, and Bilbo, being the smallest one and their burglar was out scouting. The Dwarves were checking what few provisions they still had while Ruby muttered at the loss of most her knives. The spell she normally used was not working due to the great distance between her and her beloved knives. Bilbo came back to them, flushed and out of breath.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.

"Too close, couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it." Bilbo took a few gulps of air.

**"**Have the Orcs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked.

"Not yet, but they will. We have another problem." Bilbo started to explain.

"Did they see you? They saw you." Gandalf asked disbelievingly.

**"**No, that's not it."

"Good, what did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." The Wizard was quite proud of his choice.

"Will you just listen! I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there." Bilbo almost shouted.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf looked to Ruby, recognition in her eyes.

"Ye...Yes, but bigger. Much bigger." Bilbo was eyeing the silent exchange between master and pupil.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked. "I say we double back."

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs." Thorin shook his head.

As the Dwarves argued, Ruby approached Gandalf.

"There's a chance." She said.

"Too slim a chance." The Wizard countered.

"Not if we run." She reached down and adjusted her boots.

"What are you two muttering about?" Dwalin called attention to them. At Ruby's nod, Gandalf explained.

"There is a house, it's not far from here, where we might take refuge."

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin was hopeful.

"Neither. He will help us or he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" he thought for the better option, looking to Ruby for support. She seemed like she knew something.

"None." She answered and turned, leading the long line of Dwarves through the plains. She was easily the fastest one in the group, so, doubling back, she counted everyone before sprinting back to the front. But at a roar, even Bombur outran her.

"Into the house! Run!" Gandalf called as they neared a large structure. "Come on! Get inside! Open the door!" a large figure was racing to them.

"Quickly!" Thorin rushed ahead and managed to open the door. Everyone rushed inside and just as they were about to close the door, the creature lunged its head through it, the Dwarves all pushing to close the door.

"Come on, lads!" Ruby was sending strong gusts of wind against the door, and they finally managed to shut and lock it.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host." Gandalf answered. He looked to Ruby as the company looked at him in confusion, but she merely waved him away, panting and cursing in her strange language. "His name is Beorn, he's a skin-changer." The Wizard frowned at her colourful language. He only knew a few words, but her tone was enough to imply she was not happy. "Sometimes he's a huge black bear, sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not over fond of Dwarves."

"He's leaving."

"Come away from there!" Bombur pulled Ori away. "It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious, he's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own." Gandalf said, taking off his hat. "Right. Now, get some sleep all of you. You'll be safe here tonight." He caught Ruby's eye and muttered. "I hope."

"We'll be fine, you old bat." She waved him off and spotted a small chest in the corner. "I don't believe it." She said, stepping around the Wizard and crouching by the chest.

"What?" Fili and Kili had claimed a larger haystack to share. They looked at her curiously as they spread their bedrolls on the hay.

"I would always come here for a few weeks at a time." She explained, opening the chest gingerly. "But it's been years." She lifted a thick patchwork quilt and brought it to her chest. "I can't believe he kept my things."

"I would think a beast would not have that much sentiment." Dwalin called from his own haystack.

"You would be angry too if a bunch of strangers invaded your house with an Orc pack at their tail!" Ruby snapped.

"What else is in there?" Kili knelt by her.

"Nosy..." she pushed his hand aside and reached in the chest to pull out a wooden bear figurine, a pair of fluffy knitted socks and two small riverstone pendants on leather strings. She kept quiet and turned the necklaces in her hand.

Kili was busy with his brother, each having put a sock on their hand and were mock fighting with their makeshift puppets. They noticed her spirits fall and looked to her.

"What is it?" Fili asked, concerned.

"I forgot I had these." She whispered. Fili looked for Thorin, maybe his uncle could comfort her. He was tending to the Company, now was not the time. "I made these, before my accident." She rubbed her stomach. The younger brothers knew of her wound, and how it kept her from bearing children.

"What are they?" Kili rubbed her back soothingly.

"Just small trinkets I thought I would one day give to my children." She smiled sadly and looked at Thorin. "I wanted two boys."

"No girl?" Fili smirked at his brother. They might not be magic healers, but there was a way to please her. She shook her head.

"Never had the patience for girls."

"Well," Kili started with his own grin. "in a way, you have your two boys." Ruby looked at him quizzically. "Our father passed away when we were young." He explained. "Though we have a wonderful mother, Thorin has always cared for us as more than an uncle."

"And with you being his lady, that kind of makes you our aunt." Fili finished. "Fate is often cruel, but it all works out in the end."

"You two are such dears!" she wiped her tears away. "I want you to have these then." She held out the pendants. "I'm sure it's nothing compared to what you'll have in Erebor, but—oomph!" she was tackled to the haystack by two grown Dwarves hugging the life out of her.

"Thank you auntie!" Kili laughed.

Dwalin shushed them and they shared a quiet chuckle. Thorin was still discussing matters of the company with Balin. Ruby put one necklace around each of the brothers' necks. They inspected their gifts. The pale, smooth stone had a hole where the leather cord ran through. There were strange markings similar to claw marks on the surface, but they seemed too orderly to be anything else but a foreign language. At the bottom, a small ruby was encrusted in the white stone.

"What does it say?" Fili asked as they made themselves comfortable on the haystack, Ruby in the middle.

"'_Jaaril ahrk vel'_." She kissed their foreheads and hugged them to her. "It means 'protect and nurture'." The brothers looked at each other from across her chest, and smiled. It was clear to anyone in the company that Ruby had taken a liking to them, and stuck around them protectively when they were fighting, from the moment she pressed her back to Kili before they entered Rivendell to when she had viciously kept Goblins away from them in the caves. A figurative adoption was what seemed natural after Thorin proclaimed her as his Lady.

"What language is that?" Kili asked.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "I have no memory of anything before Gandalf found me, yet I have always known it. Perhaps it has something to do with my heritage, but I have yet to find someone who recognizes it." She sighed.

"We'll help you find out what you are, Ruby." Fili assured her as he stuck his pendant under his shirt for safekeeping. Kili agreed with a yawn.

"How about we get some sleep?" Ruby pulled the large quilt and was pleased as it covered the three of them. Fili and Kili made themselves comfortable, resting each of their heads on one of her shoulders. They missed their mother, and even if they were with her, they had outgrown the age where they could cuddle to sleep with her. They would not be caught dead admitting any of that, but Ruby threaded her fingers in their hair and hummed softly until the three fell asleep in a warm pile.

Thorin stayed awake for many hours still, planning ahead with Balin. The older Dwarf yawned and looked to the back of the large cabin they were in.

"I seems you have lost your lady tonight." He said amusedly. Thorin looked back to the pile under a colourful quilt. Kili had his head on Ruby's chest, his arms around her middle and her right arm over his shoulders, her hand in his hair. Fili had tucked his head under Ruby's neck and was hugging her left arm to his chest, her fingers in his beard. She rested her chin on the top of his head and slept soundly, a small smile on her lips. Thorin stood watching them for a while. He was obviously going to mock his nephews later for clutching at her like babes, but his chest swelled with happiness as he saw how they had welcomed his Lady into their family. He realized that it was not only happiness that made his heart soar. Something he never thought he could feel. Something a Dwarf felt only once in his life, and that no other Lady he had courted at Erebor had made him feel: Love.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast? - Do you smell it? The scent of fear?_

_Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob. - I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain._

_Kod, Toragid biriz. - That one is mine._

_Worori-da! - Kill the others!_

_Sho gad adol! - Drink their blood!_

_Hi los dii hil. Waan Zu'u saan hi, Zu'u dir. - You are my heart. If I lose you, I die._

_Jaaril ahrk vel - protect and nurture_


	10. Chapter 10

In the morning, Beorn had a full table set for them. The Dwarves kept quiet, Bilbo, Ruby, Fili and Kili were still asleep.

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield." Beorn said softly. "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

"You know of Azog? How?" Thorin asked.

"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the Orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved. Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him."

Bilbo had woken during his explanation. "There are others like you?"

"Once there were many."

"And now?" the Hobbit dreaded the answer.

"Now there's only one. You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn."

"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf nodded.

"You are running out of time." Though they did have enough time, the road could cause many time consuming inconveniences.

"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said.

"A darkness lies upon that forest, foul things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and The Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there, except in great need. Surely you have enough days to spare the trip around?"

"We will take the Elven Road, their path is still safe." Gandalf insisted.

"Safe? The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn looked to the colourful quilt by the back of the cabin.

"What do you mean?" Thorin followed his gaze.

"The wood Elves have a strange affinity for Ruby." He said. "She might be your only way out of their realm. If you ever reach it alive. These lands are crawling with Orcs, their numbers are growing and you are on foot. I would hate to submit Ruby to such dangers."

"She is safe with me." Thorin growled.

"She does not need your protection, Dwarf, she is very capable on her own." Beorn towered over him. "If you hurt her in any way, I will not hesitate to maul you." He threatened lowly.

"I do not intend to. Ruby is dearer to me than any other has ever been." Thorin stood his ground. His hand went to his chest, but he did not seem to notice as he looked at the pile of bodies, Kili's socked foot sticking out from under the quilt. "She is a part of our company as any other, has protected and defended us fiercely and my nephews have welcomed her into my family. Though it is a relief to know she is protected by many powerful friends, I _will_ take responsibility for her. She is my Lady." Beorn seemed to accept his answer and strode away. Thorin caught Dwalin's smirk. His friend knew. Mahal, he probably knew even before he himself did.

Walking to the last sleeping members of his company he looked down at them. His _family_. Ruby was trapped between the two Dwarves. In their sleep, they had assumed a protective stance around her, Kili on his stomach, his right arm and leg over her body, which was curved and snuggled into Fili's chest, who had his right arm under both Ruby's and Kili's heads. Thorin realized with a sad pang that his nephews were just children still, and while Ruby had revealed that she was even older than him, he could not help but wonder at his choice in taking them on this quest. He nudged Kili's foot and called out.

"Wake up! Get off her." The three jolted awake, and a small flame of pride nestled itself in Thorin's chest as he saw how all of them reached for weapons. Ruby took a few seconds more to calm down from her fright. Thorin needed to talk to her about her nightmares.

"Mornin' uncle." Fili stood and walked to the table, Thorin clapping a hand on his shoulder in greeting. Kili grumbled, flopping his head back down and earning himself a ruffle on the head by Ruby, who was slipping from under him and accepting Thorin's helping hand to stand. She shivered slightly and Thorin embraced her warm body. Her hair needed brushing and her eyes were droopy from sleep, but he could not take his eyes off her. She stood on her toes and kissed him softly.

"I missed you by my side." He rumbled as she rubbed their noses together sleepily.

"You were busy." She said. "And your nephews needed a cuddle." She did not mean it to insult them, and Thorin nodded understanding. He could not pass the opportunity though.

"I have never seen grown Dwarves clutching to a tiny woman as babes in their sleep!" he laughed loudly with the company. Looking back at Fili, the blond hid his reddened face in his breakfast.

"You're just jealous you slept alone." Kili mumbled, still half asleep by their feet. Thorin kicked him in the shin, effectively waking his nephew, who stood and slunk away to the table.

"Indeed I was." He turned back to the beauty in his arms when they were out of earshot. She had her head on his shoulder and was blinking heavily. When was the last time any of them had slept properly? Rivendell? That seemed like weeks ago.

"I'm just going to freshen up so we can be off." She said, pulling away. Thorin looked back at his company. Fili was slouched over his breakfast, Kili had laid his head on the table, little white mice climbing his hair. Dwalin refused to show any weakness, but his eyes were droopy and his shoulders sagged a little. Gandalf was quietly talking to Beorn, and the Wizard looked more like a frail old man. Bombur still had food in his plate and Bofur was staring at his empty pipe.

"We'll stay another night." Thorin declared loudly. "If we are welcome." He shifted his eyes to Beorn, who nodded. The Dwarves all sighed in unison, relief flooding them. This quest had turned out to be tougher than they thought.

"Beorn." Ruby walked to him. "I'd quite forgotten how big you were." She joked.

"It has been too long, little one." He put an arm around her shoulders as she embraced his waist briefly. "There are some old shirts you left behind if you wish to change." Ruby looked down at her torn shirt. "What happened?"

"Goblins." She spat. "Cut my hair, too." She pulled a handful of strands that seemed shorter than the rest. Instead of reaching down to her waist, they only barely touched her shoulders.

"The little devil nearly shat himself." Dwalin chuckled, remembering the terrified look of the Goblin.

"Should have killed him when I had the chance." Ruby muttered, inspecting the damage on her hair.

"Peace, little one, it is done now." Beorn shoved her lightly in the direction of the chest she was inspecting earlier. She grumbled, most Dwarves accustomed to her foreign words, and pulled out a change of clothes.

* * *

Ruby was still thinking about how she could manage the damage done to her hair when she reached a stream. It was wider and deeper in some places, perfect for bathing. Stripping herself from her soiled clothes, she jumped in the cold water. Scrubbing at her skin to get the blood and grime off, she dunked her head down to wet her hair. Sitting by the shore she started to part her hair in different sections and ran the edge of one of her smaller knives through the tips. Once she was satisfied, she finished bathing and dressed, her corset and the few weapons that remained back in place. When she finally returned to the large cottage, the Dwarves were either sparring in the back yard or helping Beorn with different chores. She watched Fili adjust his clothes. He was still unused to so many knives around his body, but he had liked Ruby's fighting technique and was adapting to it since she taught him in Rivendell.

"_Zabadinhuh_?" Thorin called. She turned and saw him leaving Dwalin to sparr with another as he approached her.

"You should all be resting." She said.

"So should you." He quipped. "Walk with me." He turned to the orchard and offered Ruby his arm. She rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. Thorin suppressed a smirk as he felt her fingers twitch at his bicep and could not resist flexing a little.

"Showoff." Ruby muttered, but rubbed his arm appreciatively nonetheless. He chuckled and stopped under a lemon tree. "Is everything okay?" she asked, sensing his distress.

"Ruby, I—" he took her hands in his. "Did you know that a Dwarf is only capable of giving his heart once?" he started. "We are born incomplete, searching for our other half throughout our lives. I have courted many Dwarf women in Erebor, and in the Blue Mountains, searching for my One." She looked at him, a mixture of curiosity and dread on her face. "I have never felt the way I feel about you before." He squeezed her fingers. "It is foreign and confusing to me, but I believe—" he licked his lips nervously. "I believe you are my One. _Men lananubukhs menu_."

Ruby did not need to know Khuzdul to understand what those three words meant. Her heart clenched in an array of feelings. She knew deep down that she felt the same way. But her mind kept throwing all her flaws at her. She wasn't of his kind. She didn't even know _what_ she was. What if her life expectancy was similar to the Elves'? Could she stomach watching Thorin age and die? What if she died first? She knew the broken heart of a Dwarf could lead to an early grave. She couldn't bear him children. She had no home, or status to aid his Kingdom. She was being selfish pulling him into a dead-end relationship. The look in Thorin's eyes was pleading, hoping for acceptance, dreading rejection. He knew all this, she had told him, and he still had asked her to be his Lady.

"_Miz azyung_, will you not answer me?" he asked. He could see the turmoil in her eyes, he could guess what was going on in her mind. He opened his mouth to assure her that he knew the consequences of his choice, and that he still stood by it, but she started talking in a hushed tone.

"Thorin, I—I cannot give you or your Kingdom what you deserve. I could not bear to outlive you, or to know that my death would lead to yours. You mustn't pledge yourself to someone like me." There were tears in her eyes.

"I already have." He took her chin and raised her head to look into the watery chestnuts. "Please, I must know if—hmpf!" he was interrupted by Ruby launching herself up to his face and claiming his lips almost violently. He held her so tightly, a small squeak came from her throat. Her fingers buried themselves in his hair, pulling him painfully closer, but Thorin didn't mind. She reluctantly ended the assault on his lips and locked eyes with him.

"_Zu'u lokaal hi_." She whispered as tears ran down her cheeks. Thorin couldn't contain the cry of joy that lifted the weight off his chest. He took her waist between his large palms and lifted her, throwing her three feet in the air. Catching her again, he pressed her body flush to his, showering her face in kisses, wiping her tears away with his beard, basking in her soft giggles.

"I have no idea what that means, _miz azyung_." He admitted, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Yes you do." She traced the line where his beard started with her thumbs.

"I have something for you." He released her to search his pockets.

"Have you been looting another troll cave?" she watched as he pulled a small metal bead from one of his pockets.

"No." He was suddenly serious. "I have had this for decades. My mother gave it to me, so I could one day give it to my One." He studied the bead. It was golden, encrusted with a sapphire and a ruby. "It's almost as if she knew..." he showed Ruby the bead. The sapphire was the exact colour of his eyes, the ruby next to it seemed like an amazing coincidence. She watched as the Dwarf took a few strands of her hair from behind her left ear and started braiding. At the end, he clasped the bead firmly in place and tugged lightly at it to test if it wouldn't fall.

"It's beautiful, Thorin." She inspected her braid and its clasp. "Now I feel bad, I have nothing for you, yet you have gifted me twice."

"You _are_ my gift." He traced her cheek. "Though I am a little jealous of Fili and Kili." He admitted. They had happily shown him the trinkets she had given them. "Thank you, for caring for them." He kissed her softly.

"You don't have to thank me." She shook her head. "I am honoured to have been accepted by them, and the company."

"Come, let us get something to eat." Thorin smiled. As they entered the cottage, a round of cheers ensued as the company saw Ruby's hair. Ruby flushed red and smiled shyly as Thorin kissed her hand. The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the table, smiling widely at them. They sat and ate, making meaningless conversation. Thorin realized how much they had needed a break from this quest. As the day slowly went by, he watched as Dwalin taught Bilbo how to better use a sword, and Ruby was helping Fili accommodate his knives under his clothes. Soon the sun started to set, and after a quick dinner, they decided to sleep early, in hopes of a well rested night, and an early start tomorrow.

They lay in relative silence, Bombur's snoring almost a lullaby to the accustomed ears of the company. Thorin lay comfortably with Ruby's head on his chest. He felt her fiddle with the bead he had given her.

"You're brooding." He tried to keep his deep voice to a whisper. Ruby dropped the bead but stayed quiet. "_Ghivashel_? What is it?" he steered her so that she lay on him, their bodies keeping each other warm under her quilt. She rested her hands over his chest and played with a stray thread of his shirt.

"My mind is plagued, Thorin." She whispered. "I do not know what I am. I have no way of knowing if I am at the end of my life, or if it is eternal. Thoughts of my death causing yours haunt me, and even though I know I am being selfish, I do not wish to live in this world without you, _dii lokaal_."

"Do not worry about things that have not yet come to pass." Thorin rubbed her arms and back. "Can you not be joyous that we are together? That we are well? That my family and friends welcome you as one of our own?" Ruby sighed and lay her head down again.

"You're right." She said. "I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to forgive, _miz azyung_. All is well." He rested his hands on her hips.

"Not all." She said, a glint in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Thorin was concerned by her words, but that glint eased his mind a little.

"I wish we could be somewhere more private..." her thigh pressed lightly between his legs and he gasped. Smirking, Ruby dipped her head down and kissed the line where is beard started. Shifting lower, she nipped at his neck, her hips undulating over his.

"Stop it, _Baraz Kunzek_." He stilled her hips, but craned his neck back to give ruby easier access to his skin. "Oh, _menu gholush men_." He muttered as she nipped and sucked at his pulse point.

With a loud _smack_ she detached herself from his skin.

"Don't say that." Her voice was strained. Thorin lowered his head to look at her concerned expression.

"I did not mean it like that. No, don't cry." He wiped at her cheek. "Please, _ghivashel_, you know what I meant."

"I do, _shir_. It's just..." Ruby willed the tears away.

"I know." Thorin cradled her head in his shoulder. After a moment he frowned. "How did you understand that?" he asked.

"I've been having conversations with your company for long enough to pick up a little Khuzdul." She grinned against his neck. "Even a little _Iglishmek_ from Bifur."

"You're amazing." He chuckled.

"I know." Came her smug reply. Thorin nudged her playfully and she giggled softly. Her breath sent shivers over his skin, making him sigh contently. She continued her interrupted ministrations on his neck, her hot tongue tracing lines to his collarbone.

"Ruby..." Thorin warned half-heartedly. He swallowed a groan as she bit his nipple through his shirt. Her fingers ghosted over his waistband, dipping in to stroke lightly at the dark hair underneath. He growled lowly and flipped them over, pulling the large quilt over them in an attempt to muffle their sounds. It was pitch black, so Thorin gladly relied on his touch to find his way around. He roughly shoved his hand down Ruby's pants and circled his middle finger on the pert nub between her folds. "Ah-ah-ah..." he scolded softly as Ruby bucked and mewled. "You wouldn't want to wake everyone, now, would you?" he continued his ministrations, the hard calluses on his hands making the experience far less delicate. He lowered his middle finger and slipped it inside her, her juices coating him up to his knuckle as she breathed heavily. Lowering his head, he kissed her and tasted blood. She was probably trying to keep quiet by biting her lip. "Don't hurt yourself." He muttered against her skin. His reply was a strangled groan as he curled his finger inside her. His thumb flicked against her clit, bringing her over the edge. Thorin sealed his mouth against hers in an effort to keep her quiet as she spasmed and throbbed around his finger. After she relaxed, he removed his hand from Ruby's pants, a shudder running over her body. He felt her hand nudging his trousers down but stopped her.

"What about you?" she asked as her finger trailed his member.

"We have to rest." He said, poking his head out of their makeshift tent and settling down next to her. "I will collect my debt another time." He grinned at her as she sighed and rested her head on his chest again. "Also, I do not fancy risking my company seeing you." He muttered lowly in her hair.

"You're a bit late for that, Thorin." She chuckled as his body went still. "You really think that such a tight-knit group travelling in the wild would have privacy?" she asked. "Most of them have walked in on me bathing as we made camp." Thorin's muscles went rigid. "I've even shared a river with your nephews." She mused at the memory. "Don't worry, they were very respectable." She patted his shoulder as he made to sit up. "It's not like I haven't been granted a few flashes myself."

"Really?" he calmed himself.

"Dwalin's not so bad..." she mused as a low growl came from the chest under her head. "I still prefer you." She giggled as Thorin wrapped his arm around her and hugged her tightly to him.

* * *

_Translations:_

_men lananubukhs menu - I love you_

_zu'u lokaal hi - I love you_

_miz azyung - my love_

_ghivashel - treasure of all treasures_

_dii lokaal - my love_

_Menu gholush men - You will be the death of me_

_shir - dear_

_Iglishmek - sign language_


	11. Chapter 11

"Go now, while you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind." Beorn had lent them his ponies so that they could reach Mirkwood faster. "And you." He turned to Ruby. "Don't be a stranger."

"I won't." She smiled at him as they galloped away. They pushed their ponies and Gandalf's horse to exhaustion, even with Beorn's protective shadow lurking at the horizon, they dared not rest until they reached the woods. When they finally did, They started unloading their provisions from the ponies at Gandalf's order to let them return to Beorn.

"This forest feels sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" Bilbo studied the unkempt entrance.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance...south." Gandalf was looking at a statue.

"Beorn said Ruby would be our safe ticket through here." Dwalin commented. "How so?"

"I'm not so sure about that." She silently agreed with Bilbo. "The Greenwood has changed. 'Mirkwood', they call it now. Until we reach Thranduil's realm I cannot guarantee safe passage through these trees." She touched the nearest bark and looked up at the twisted branches. Even though her powers regarding the earthen element were limited, she could feel the life thrumming inside the wood. And it was not a happy life.

"We are not stepping foot in that place." Thorin growled. Ruby was too involved with the trees to notice him.

"Not my horse, I need it!" The company looked at Gandalf in confusion.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo seemed almost frightened. He most probably was. Ruby stepped away from the entrance to the woods and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I would not do this unless I had to." The Wizard stopped and looked at Bilbo. "You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire."

"I was going to tell you." Bilbo paused before making his confession. "I...I found something in the Goblin tunnels."

"Found what?" Bilbo hesitated. Gandalf looked at Ruby with suspicion.

"What did you find?" she urged.

"My courage." Bilbo quickly removed his hand away from his pocket. Gandalf pretended not to notice, and ignored Ruby's exasperated glare.

"Good. Well, that's good. You'll need it." Gandalf walked to his horse. "I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor." He called to the company. Turning to Thorin, he added, "Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me. This is not the Greenwood of old" he agreed with Ruby. "The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion that will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray."

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked.

"You must stay on the path, do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." The Wizard warned, turning his horse and galloping away. "No matter what may come, stay on the path!" he called back at them.

"Come on, we must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day. Let's go, we got one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin urged them. He took the lead with Ruby, keeping his eyes trained on the path, a shiver passing through them as they crossed the entryway.

* * *

They reached nightfall, their heads dizzy with the tainted air.

"Air...I need air." Bofur murmured.

"My head, it's spinning! What's happening?" Oin cried.

"Keep moving." Thorin wanted to use the last bit of daylight they had, but the path was easy to lose on the leaf-cluttered forest floor. "Nori, why have you stopped?"

"The path, it's disappeared!" he answered.

"What's going on?" Ori called from the back of the line.

"We've lost the path!" Bofur answered.

"Find it. All of you, look." Thorin's voice was laced with anger and panic.

"Look for the path!" Dwalin urged.

"I don't remember this place, none of it's familiar." Balin turned to Ruby. "Do you recognize anything?"

"It's got to be here."

"What hour is it?"

"I don't know, I don't even know what day it is."

"Is there no end to this accursed place!"

"Look, a tobacco pouch. There's Dwarves in these woods."

"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine."

"Because it is yours, do you understand? We're going around in circles, we are lost!"

"We are not lost. We keep heading east."

"But which way is the east? We've lost the sun!"

Ruby tried to keep their cursing and squabbling off her mind as she looked around. There was no hope of finding the path again and she was starting to get jumpy. She apologized stiffly to Kili when she almost stabbed him for touching her arm. She tried to remember her lessons with Thranduil, and crouched low, putting her hands on the ground. Concentrating on her inner life force, she sent a pulse out through the earth. Waiting for an answer, she blocked out the loud noises the Dwarves were making and sent another pulse. Then another. She tried to track the path, or even the palace from the earth, but her powers were limited, and she cursed her disinterest in the earthen element.

Then she felt it. A life force, big, and strong, and _foul_. She turned her eyes up to Thorin, who sensed her distress and read her warning from her eyes before she could open her mouth. A quiet, almost soft clicking noise flew through them.

"What," Thorin whispered, "was that?"

"Enough! Quiet! All of you!" He barked. "We are being watched." After a moment of silence, they heard the branches above them rustle.

"Oh, _gods_, no." Ruby's face was contorted in a grimace of terror and panic, her hands gripping her daggers firmly. The Dwarves followed her eyesight to the largest Spider they had ever seen. It was easily as big as a cottage. Thorin vaguely remembered her shuddering at cobwebs in the troll cave, and connected it to her now obvious fear of spiders. If their lives weren't in danger, he would have laughed. She was eager to threaten a Goblin for cutting her hair, step in front of a warg's meal, but trembled like a little girl at spiders.

They started to draw their weapons, but a swift, sharp pain ran though all of them, and they realized too late they were surrounded. Darkness danced on the edge of their visions as their bodies became stiff and sore. Awareness was just out of reach as Thorin saw his company being wrapped with thick sticky cobwebs and hauled by what seemed like dozens of spiders, before he too fell unconscious.

* * *

They awoke with soft thuds against the forest floor. Slowly, their bodies were unstiffening and their senses were coming back. Untangling themselves from their cocoons, they looked around, drawing their weapons and forming a ring with their backs to each other as spider after spider descended from the trees and attacked them. Thorin quickly counted them all, but was missing a burglar. He saw Ruby frozen in the middle of the circle, eyes wide and terrified, snapping from one spider to the next. An especially large one was lowering itself on a web just above her, in the middle of their protective circle.

"Dwalin! Kill it! Kill it!" Thorin called as he was engaged in a battle himself.

Dwalin attacked the spider grabbing hold of an oddly quiet Ruby, but his attention was pulled away when Kili got trapped by another spider, which was pulling him back.

"Fili!" Kili called in a panic, but his brother managed to stab the beast before it sunk its fangs into him.

Ruby's whimpers reached the Dwarves' ears, a stark contrast to her now familiar foreign cursing. Her limbs were trembling, her eyes were blown wide, her body was curved in on itself.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" Dwalin roared at her. His answer was a high pitched squeak as a dead arachnid fell next to her and she stepped away frantically. Thorin recognized the red gleam sparking in her eyes and shouted to the company, urgency in his voice.

"Everyone, down, now! Get down!" he threw himself down, grabbing Oin next to him and squinted his eyes as a bright circle of fire appeared around Ruby. He saw the rest of the company drop to the floor, just as an ear-splitting shriek left Ruby's quivering lips. The ring of fire expanded violently, the heat flowing over them reminding them of that fateful day when Smaug attacked, so hot was her conjuring. It set all the spiders around them ablaze, then suddenly, the fire vanished, leaving only charred and smoking corpses behind.

The company staggered upright, and Thorin stepped to Ruby, rubbing her arms as she sobbed and hiccupped in panic.

"Ruby." He called firmly. When her frantic red orbs snapped to him, he squeezed her arms and spoke in a commanding, but soothing tone. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you, _miz azyung_, but you need to face your fear."

They set off again, Ruby having gathered herself enough to fight back, if not as viciously as they were accustomed to, also lagging behind. Kili chose to stay with her rather than to keep up with the company.

Suddenly, a spider landed in front of the Dwarves, as more started to descend. A grunt and a whooshing noise alerted them to a tall figure sliding down one of the webs and kicking the spider down, using its body to glide rapidly closer. As it snagged on a dead tree trunk, he jumped forward and slid under another spider's belly, slicing it. Swifter than the Dwarves' eyes could see, he sheathed his blade and nocked an arrow, pointing it at Thorin's nose. Other Elves surrounded them and held them at arrowpoint as the rest of their guard killed the few remaining spiders.

"Do not think I won't kill you, Dwarf. It would be my pleasure." The Elf narrowed his eyes at him and smirked. A yell rose from where they came.

"Kili!" Fili recognized his brother's voice.

Kili was currently busy dodging the spiders since he had lost all his arrows and his sword. He also had to dodge many fireballs as Ruby's fear was keeping her from concentrating hard enough to actually hit her targets. An Elf dropped from the treetops and started killing the spiders more efficiently.

"Throw me a dagger! Quick!" Kili saw a spider approach them.

"If you think I'm giving you a weapon, Dwarf, you are mistaken!" the Elf grunted and threw a dagger at the last spider behind Kili. They just stared at each other, until a soft whimper made their eyes turn to Ruby, who was trying to press herself into a crack in the bark of a tree.

"Ruby?" Kili called cautiously.

"Get away from her." The Elf pointed an arrow at him and stood between them. "_Mîruin_, you're safe now." She called over her shoulder.

"Tauriel?" her voice was shaky and weak, but she seemed to regain her senses.

"You two know each other?" Kili tried to look around the taller Elf, but her hostility made him rethink his movements.

"Do you know this Dwarf? Did he hurt you?" the Elf asked. Ruby walked around her to Kili.

"What? No!" she stepped closer and let Kili check her for injuries beside the first spider bite. "He's my nephew."

"Your _what_?" the Elf seemed flabbergasted, but lowered her weapon.

* * *

"Search them!" Legolas called to his kin as he took a locket from the Dwarf in front of him.

"Hey, give it back! That's private!" the stubby being called.

"Who is this? Your brother?" Legolas knew that was probably his family.

"That is my wife!"

"And what is this horrid creature? A Goblin mutant?" he chose to poke at his temper.

"That's my wee lad, Gimli!"

Legolas merely raised his eyebrow and watched as another Elf was plucking knives from the only blond Dwarf in the company. It reminded him of someone he knew many years ago. He turned as he heard footsteps and saw Tauriel leading two smaller beings into the clearing.

"_Gyrth in yngyl bain_?" he asked.

"_Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyryn. En gain nar_." She shook her head as an Ellon handed Legolas Thorin's sword. He inspected it.

"_Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh_. Where did you get this?" he glared at the Dwarf leader.

"It was given to me." He growled.

"Not just a thief, but a liar as well." He said, pointing the sword at him.

"Stop it, Legolas!" a voice called. His eyes widened in recognition as he looked down at one he had not seen in years. She approached the leader of the Dwarves and stood between the tip of Ocrist and its victim. "He tells the truth. It was found in a troll cave."

"_Mîruin_?" Legolas asked breathless, putting the sword away. "What are you doing here? There are spiders roaming about." She shuddered. The Dwarf behind her ran his stubby hands over her arm and she turned, allowing him to embrace her.

"You know the knife-ear?" he murmured.

"Legolas is a friend." They both scowled at her answer, but for different reasons. Legolas' keen eyes caught the braid and bead behind her ear and his blood boiled.

"Why are you travelling with _Dwarves_?" the prince spat the word like venom.

"I am part of their company." She said simply.

"Hm." He frowned. "Come. _Adar_ will be pleased to see you. We shall prepare a feast for your arrival." He held out his hand to her.

"Are my companions also invited to this feast?" she asked.

"Of course not." Legolas answered as if it were the most obvious thing on Middle Earth.

"Then I must decline." She stepped away from his hand and further into the Dwarf's embrace. His scowl was met with a cocky smirk from the other male. "Thank you for your assistance. If you could point us to the path, we will be on our way."

"I cannot allow that." With a nod, his kin ushered the Dwarves to the palace. Their leader was pried from her petite frame, but at a soothing nod, he let her go with a warning glare to Legolas. "Please. Let's not make this difficult." She sighed, but took hold of his offered elbow and let him lead her. Legolas purposefully walked past the Dwarves, smirking at their leader and putting a hand on Ruby's lower back as they entered his father's palace. He bent lower to speak quietly in her ear. "Welcome back, _Mîruin_." Then, to the guards at the gates, he added. "_Holo in ennyn_!"

He once again led the group through the halls, sneaking glances at the woman next to him. She had changed little since he last saw her. She was still much shorter than him, almost 30 inches. Her clothes were ripped, dirtied and bloodied, but she was still as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair had grown quite a bit, reaching to her waist, although the fight had dishevelled it. He wondered why it wasn't in its usual tie on the back of her head. He always preferred it when he could see her face clearly. How she could fight with all that hair in her face was beyond him, and it was unlike her. He knew she was familiar with the palace, but her lack of attention to her surroundings made him frown as he saw her eyes follow what she had called her company. Ordering the Dwarves to the cells, he turned to the leader, who was standing much too close to Ruby for his comfort. The petite woman was muttering soothing words to him, running a calming hand on his shoulder. He ordered the last guards to take him to his father.

"_Mîruin_." He called her attention as she made to follow the Dwarf, who stopped as soon as she turned back to him. "I shall escort you to your old chambers."

"I should stay with my company." She quipped. "Also, I might have a word to say to your father." Without waiting for his response, she turned and led the smirking Dwarf to the throne room. Legolas turned to the dungeons to finish his duties, seething with rage.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Gyrth in yngyl bain? - Are the spiders dead?_

_Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyryn. En gain nar. - Yes, but more will come. They are growing bolder._

_Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh. - This is an ancient Elvish blade. Forged by my kin._

_Adar - father_

_Holo in ennyn! - Close the gates!_


	12. Chapter 12

"Is that who I think it is? I felt a familiar pulse through the earth a while back, but I did not think it to be you." Thranduil's voice was long forgotten in Ruby's mind, but at hearing it again, she heaved a sigh. Even at their current situation, in here she was safe. She willed her calmness over to Thorin as his hands were unbound and he immediately took her in his arms and shielded her from the King of the Woodland Realm. "_Mîruin_, my dear, it has been too long since you have graced my realm with your presence." He gracefully walked down the steps from his throne. "Come here, let me look at you." He took her face between his large, warm hands as she stepped closer to him and away from Thorin, who he ignored for the moment. Pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, he pulled her closer for a hug, wrapping his long arms around her petite frame.

Ruby relaxed a little in the familiar embrace, but stepped away out of respect for Thorin. She felt the slim fingers of the Ellon grasp her braid and study it with a slight frown.

"I suppose congratulations are in order, Thorin Oakenshield. You have found yourself a most marvellous match." He finally turned his attention to the Dwarf.

"I know." He merely answered. "Have you brought me here to make me watch as you coddle my _azyung_?" Ruby's heart soared as he openly declared his feelings to the other King.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" the taller male asked.

"_Baraz Kunzek_ is very capable of taking care of herself. I trust her." He used her name in Khuzdul, sick of hearing the knife-ears call her by her Sindarin alias.

"Is that why she is with you? Some may imagine that a Noble quest is at hand. A Quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a Dragon. I myself, suspect a more prosaic motive. Attempted burglary, or something of that ilk." He leaned down to look at Thorin closely, emphasizing their height difference. Ruby kept quiet. She did not know enough of politics to meddle, and Thorin seemed to be in control of the situation. "You have found a way in. You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule. A King's jewel. The Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure, I understand that. There are gems in the mountain that I too desire. White gems of pure starlight. I offer you my help." Thranduil closed his eyes in mock humility.

"I am listening." Thorin smiled mirthfully.

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine." His eyes briefly flickered to Ruby.

"A favor for a favor." Thorin did not notice the quick movement.

"You have my word. One King to another."

"I would not trust, Thranduil, the great King, to honour his word. 'Till the end of all days be upon us!" Thorin roared. Thranduil looked visibly shocked. "You, lack all honour! I have seen how you treat your friends! We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help. But you turned your back! You, turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! _Imrid amrad ursul_!" Ruby refrained from groaning in frustration at his outburst.

"Do not talk to me of Dragon fire! I know its wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the North." Thranduil's face contorted in pain as the spell lifted and his scar was shown. Ruby was familiar with it, but it still drew her attention in an almost fascinating way. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen." He called the spell back in place and walked up the steps to the throne. "You are just like him." A fluid motion with his hand had his guards grabbing hold of a struggling Thorin and dragging him away. "Stay here if you will, and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in a life of an Elf. I'm patient. I can wait." Ruby made to follow them, but Thranduil called out to her. "Where are you going, darling?"

"To join the company I'm part of." She said, exasperated.

"I would never allow you to be locked in a cell." Thranduil looked at her as if she had insulted him. "A Queen should never lock herself up willingly, if she can negotiate the freedom of her subjects."

"Queen?" Ruby turned to him. "Where do you get these ideas from?"

"Thorin has united himself with you." A slender finger pointed to her braid. "He is King of his people, therefore, making you Queen."

"This is absurd." She turned to follow Thorin.

"Is it?" he let the words linger in the air and watched her freeze in midstep. Slowly, she turned back to him.

"If I were their Queen." She started carefully. "_If_." She stressed. "How could I help them? I am willing to talk to Thorin about the gems you want. I'm sure he will be more open to my words than yours."

"Of that I have no doubt." Thranduil smiled. "But what I offer you is a trade." He stepped down from his throne again and guided her through the halls. "You haven't yet wed Thorin, have you?"

"Not officially." She replied cautiously.

"Then I will let you go, allowing an escort to the mountain. When Smaug is slain, and his people are back in the mountain, you will renounce your status and relationship with Thorin." He stopped walking and turned back to her. "Returning here to wed my son."

"Legolas is a friend." Ruby tried to contain the fury inside her.

"It will make your marriage even better."

"_Just_ a friend." She specified.

"You should sleep on it, _Mîruin_." He started leading her again.

"I think I'll discuss this with the company."

"Very well, I will escort you down t—"

"I know my way." She turned.

"Unlike Erebor." He muttered lowly, but he knew she heard him.

* * *

"Did he offer you a deal?" Balin asked as Thorin was thrown in a cell.

"He did. I told him he could go _ishkh khakfe andu null_. Him and all his kin!" he roared, hoping his voice would carry back to the knife-ear.

"Well, that's that then." Balin muttered. "The deal was our only hope."

"It's not our _only_ hope." Thorin looked up as he heard a door slam and words being exchanged. "I did not know you could speak Sindarin." He mused as Ruby appeared around the corner, the company erupting in cheers as she squeezed hands through bars on her way to Thorin's cell. When she reached him, her hand shot through the bars and grabbed his collar and pulled him against the bars, crushing her lips to his. The cheers grew louder, but soon hushed down as Ruby started to speak.

"I speak many languages, _dii lokaal_." She said. "But I have news."

"What is it? Did they hurt you?" Thorin willed his knees to strengthen as they were a fraction weaker when she called him endearing terms in her strange language.

"No, don't worry about that here. I know you don't like them, but our safety is guaranteed. What I meant to say is, Thranduil offered _me_ a deal. He has this ridiculous idea I am your Queen and am capable of making decisions for you." She scoffed and sat by the steps next to Thorin's cell.

"You _are_ our Queen, lass." Dwalin called, resting his forearms on the bars, his hands hanging out.

"Excuse me?" Ruby looked to Thorin.

"I was going to wait until we retook Erebor to properly ask for your hand, and Gandalf's blessing. Then, a coronation would follow our wedding." He was grateful for his beard as it hid his blush.

"Thorin, I—" she looked around at the Dwarves and saw their smiles and nods. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am honoured."

"_Ghivashel_, you have every last bit of my trust that you will make the right choice for us. It seems Beorn was right. You _are_ our way out of here." Thorin slid to the floor and held her hand.

"That's just it. I don't know if I can accept this deal." She sighed. "I know Thranduil will honour it, but only if I play my part."

"Which is?" Balin urged.

"To lay down claim of my title as Queen and cut relations with Thorin, returning here after Erebor is reclaimed to wed Legolas." She explained.

"_WHAT_?" Thorin was livid. He stood in a flash and paced his cell like a caged wild animal, kicking and punching at the bars keeping him from throttling every last knife-ear he met on his way to strangle Thranduil. A series of Khuzdul curses left his mouth so fast, not even Bofur (the one with the most vulgar vocabulary) could understand him.

"Thorin. Thorin!" Ruby put her arms through the bars and stopped him from hurting himself even more. "Look what you've done to yourself." She inspected his bloody knuckles.

"I won't—I can't—You're not—" Thorin's eyes were almost silver the way they gleamed with angry tears, his pupils pinheads in the icy orbs.

"_Dii lokaal hi_, Thorin." Ruby caressed his face. "You said you trusted me. Don't worry, I will figure something out." She turned to the rest of the Dwarves, who had kept their outbursts to a limit. "You should all rest. I'll come back with your supper and medicine for our sting wounds." she turned back to Thorin. "Try not to rile the guards." She pressed her face to the bars and kissed him. He was reluctant to let her go, but there was little he could do.

* * *

As Ruby walked the familiar paths of one of her past homes, she met another old friend.

"Tauriel." She called. As the ginger Elleth turned, a smile lit up her graceful features. "I have not thanked you for your timely assistance in the woods."

"Nonsense." They held both their hands in each others' and smiled. "I know how you despise those creatures." She frowned in concern. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Just a sting, nothing major. I was going to the medical wings to clean and dress it, and take some supplies down to my companions."

"You've always kept strange company, _Mîruin_." She muttered and they started walking arm in arm as they used to. "Though I did find one of them—no, never mind."

"What?" Ruby smirked. She knew her _mellon_ too well. "Who did you like?"

"The one you called nephew." She said quietly. "He is quite tall for a Dwarf."

"Kili's a dear." Ruby's smile faltered. "I promised I would keep them safe, but I failed. My fear took hold of me, and I—"

"It is passed now." She stopped by the entrance to the royal baths. "I have to report to the King." She said. "You should clean up before you go to the healers." Nodding, Ruby let her lead the way to the steamy baths. At a point, Tauriel's steps softened, and she put a finger to her lips, smiling at Ruby, who stifled a laugh and shook her head. No one could sneak up on Thranduil.

"I know you're there." He called. "Why do you linger in the shadows?"

"I was coming to report to you." Tauriel hid her disappointment and stepped out, Ruby in tow, who simply walked to a table in the corner and plucked a fluffy towel from the neat stack, turning to walk to one of the private baths.

"I thought I ordered that nest to be destroyed not two moons past." Thranduil scolded her.

"We cleared the forest as ordered, my Lord. But more spiders keep coming up from the south. They are spawning in the ruins of Dol Guldur, if we could kill them at their source..."

"That fortress lies beyond our borders. Keep our lands clear of those foul creatures, that is your task."

"And when we drive them off, what then? Will they not spread to other lands?"

"Other lands are not my concern. The fortunes of the world will rise and fall, but here in this Kingdom, we will endure." He snapped. When Tauriel turned to leave, he continued. "Legolas said you fought well today." He studied Tauriel's efforts to hide her smile. "He's grown very fond of you."

"I assure, my Lord, Legolas thinks of me as naught more than a Captain of the Guard."

"Perhaps he did once. Now I'm not so sure."

"I do not think that you would allow your son to pledge himself to a lowly Silvan Elf."

"No, you are right, l would not." He poured himself a glass of wine. "Still, he cares about you. Do not give him hope where there is none." His eyes wandered to the direction where Ruby had gone off. He dismissed his captain and shrugged off his robe, stepping into the warm water. "You're hurt." He called to the other pool. He could hear the water splashing as Ruby washed herself.

"I am." She said.

"Have you talked to your companions?"

"You know very well what happened." She snapped. Thranduil suppressed a smirk. She rose from the pool and dried herself off, wrapping her body in a silk robe. Appearing behind Thranduil, he made no move to hide his nudity, but her eyes did not wander from his face. "I have always considered this place a home, even though I truly have none." She started. "Gandalf has always been the strongest father figure I have, but in here, under your roof, I've always felt safest. But your hospitality towards my company, my friends, my new family, has left me deeply wounded." He stared at her and studied her eyes. She was controlling the red inferno trying to burst out, and that made him shudder. He hated fire.

"The Dwarves are prisoners here." He stated. "Though with your affiliation to them, they will be brought medical supplies and food. You are to spend your nights in your old quarters, or they won't be so privileged anymore. I hope to see you tonight at the feast."

* * *

Legolas was walking back to his chambers when he heard a voice viciously cursing in a language he did not understand, though he was used to hearing it. He smiled and changed his course, stepping in front of her, studying her current situation. Long, dark tresses were wet, framing her pale face. Had she lost blood? The stain forming on the robe by her hip confirmed his suspicions. The silk clung to her wet frame, and Legolas imagined how she was still warm from the bath she had obviously taken. His thoughts were interrupted by her voice.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" he asked, looking back up at her face.

"I asked if you know about your father's latest plan." A scowl tainted her face.

"If you're referring to his wish for us to join in marriage, then yes."

"And what do you think?" she continued walking to her chambers, Legolas easily keeping up with her faltering pace.

"I think you should get that wound treated, eat and rest before you fall over." He opened the door for her and let her step in first.

Her living quarters had not changed one bit. Even the book she was reading before she left was still in its place by the window. There was no sign of dust anywhere, so someone had obviously been keeping it clean. She walked to the book and picked it up. It was worn and soft, but just until the page where a dry leaf kept track of where she had stopped reading.

"Has someone been here?" she asked.

"I have." Legolas took the book from her. "I've been waiting for you to finish it." Ruby dreaded the expression on Legolas' face. She knew the Ellon had feelings for her and they had often flirted, but in the twenty seven years she had lived here, he had not once so aggressively pursued her. Now she had found love, a family and friends, a promise of a home of her own, and he was standing far closer to her than was necessary. She stepped away and pulled a fresh pair of trousers and a shirt from her dresser, walking behind a changing screen. "_Mîruin_?" he asked as he sat by the windowsill so many times. "Have I offended you by coming here all these years?"

"No, of course not, _mellon_." She saw him cringe at the word. "You're always welcome here." She lifted her shirt a little and his eyes snapped to her wound. She had dressed it temporarily with a piece of cloth. "I should go to the healers." She started walking out. Legolas dropped the book back where it was and followed her.

The healers were overjoyed at seeing her again, though not in those circumstances. Nestor, the head healer, scolded her as he stitched up the wound. It was not big, or deep, but it would take time to heal, as it was dripping with spider venom. As soon as he had cleaned it out, her head stopped swimming and her vision focused. She didn't even realize she was feeling faint until she got better.

"I assume you're used to injuries?" Nestor scowled at her. She shrugged sheepishly as he lathered a salve on her stitches and wrapped her hips in clean bandages. "There, all better. The King has ordered high care for your companions." He mused. Ruby hoped they had not been too difficult. "They respect you. At learning that it was you who convinced the King to send them, they allowed their injuries to be treated and accepted the food quietly, almost politely." Ruby smiled.

"Please keep me informed of their recovery." She hopped down from the operating table and let Legolas lead her back to her room.

"You truly love him don't you?" he asked after a few quiet moments, where she fiddled with the braid and bead Thorin had given her.

"So much." She smiled and looked down at it. "He has offered me a life I never thought of having. A family and a home of my own."

"_I_ offer you that." He tried to keep the hurt from his voice.

"You offer me a political marriage at the wish of your father. I could never be Queen." She said.

"But you are now." He looked forward and willed his voice to soften.

"I did not realize my actions at the time. I do intend on renouncing the title." She explained. "_Mellon_, you are one of the few I hold in high regard. Can you not be happy for me?"

"Of course I can..._Mellon_." he forced a smile as they rounded a corner and almost ran into Tauriel, who was giving up on knocking on Ruby's door.

"_Mîruin_, I was looking for you." She said. "The feast is about to start. You're not going like that, are you?"

"I will meet you both there." Legolas excused himself as he retreated to his own chambers, a few doors down.

"Come on, I bet your dresses are still in there." Tauriel was giddy. She loved playing dress up with Ruby, reluctant as the other might be.

"Must I?" she whined, but followed her friend nonetheless to her closet. Tauriel was inspecting the various gowns Ruby had been gifted by Lord Elrond, King Thranduil and Prince Legolas. She herself had few dresses, being captain of the guard did not allow for time to enjoy the festivities, but Thranduil had allowed her to join because he knew Ruby would be pleased. Tauriel knew what he planned. Keeping Ruby happy in here meant she would not desire to leave, but she knew the dark haired foreign being better than even Legolas did. She would not be fooled.

"Of course you must. The feast of starlight and your return together, what a party it will be!" she picked out a golden gown, flowing and embroidered with precious gems.

"No." Ruby stepped back as Tauriel held it up against her petite frame. "Something simple."

"Ugh, fine." She looked through the closet as Ruby brushed out her hair. "You leave that to me!" she called as she held out another dress. It was dark golden, with very few embroidering on the low neckline. Ruby still contorted her face in disgust, but changed into it with the help of Tauriel, who then proceeded to push her down to the vanity mirror and brush out her hair, braiding it back with her skilled fingers. "I missed this." She admitted.

"So did I." Ruby smiled at her in the mirror.

"I hope you'll stay." She said quietly. "Or at least visit me if you choose to live in Erebor."

"I promise I'll come by more often." She inspected the intricate braids Tauriel had formed to roses on the back of her head. "I should pick up on my studies as well."

"The King will be thrilled." Tauriel laughed. "He has been bored long enough without someone to pass on his knowledge."

"What about Legolas? Or you?"

"I am not worthy of his teachings." She shook her head with a sad smile. "And Legolas is refusing the crown."

"What? Why?"

"Don't play stupid, _Mîruin_. You know why." Tauriel sat next to her dear _mellon_. She watched as the petite woman opened a small jewellery box and held it out to Tauriel. She had no experience in matching jewellery to dresses, so she let the other pick out two rings, a bracelet, earrings and a necklace. As she put them on, she saw the Elleth look forlornly into the box. Ruby knew she loved necklaces, and was planning on gifting one of her own to her, the one she was staring at. But she had left before she could give it away. As Tauriel rose and walked to the door, she quickly pocketed the light silver chain with the small green emerald. It had been something she bought on a whim in the markets, but had never worn.

* * *

_Translations:_

_azyung - love_

_Imrid amrad ursul - die a death of flames_

_ishkh khakfe andu null - I shit on your head_


	13. Chapter 13

"You look beautiful." Thranduil offered Ruby his hand and she took it, letting him lead her into the feast. "Tauriel, you are a master with her hair, well done."

"Thank you my Lord." He bowed her own head, though not as elegantly braided as _Mîruin's_.

"I am pleased to see you wearing my gift." He addressed the ginger Elleth, studying her dress. "Green suits you."

"Thank you." She repeated, a light blush covering her cheeks. He kissed _Mîruin's_ hand and excused himself, leaving the girls to walk around until Legolas found them. He was dressed in a fitting silver tunic, a thin silver ringlet on his forehead. His dark trousers hugged his muscular legs as he walked to them.

"You two seem to be the most beautiful here." He said, stepping between them and putting a hand on each of their waists. That drew many glares to them, making Tauriel stifle a giggle and Ruby roll her eyes.

"You're missing out on the feast, Legolas. I'm sure there are many wanting to dance with you." Tauriel said.

"Not all of them _ellyth_!" Ruby sniggered at Legolas' blush.

"By the Valar, help me, I've been running away from them for hours! What took you so long?" he hissed. Ruby and Tauriel looked at each other and grinned. Tauriel was only a few inches shorter than Legolas, but Ruby had to hoist herself on the tips of her toes and brace herself on Legolas' shoulder as they both kissed him simultaneously on the cheek, leaving two red marks on his fair skin.

"That should keep them away for a while." Tauriel's blush made her face almost as red as her hair.

"At least until your father tells you to go clean your face." Ruby said. They laughed and left him to his fate as they walked through the feast.

The feast was an explosion of music, colour, the smell of food, conversation and lights. Many of her old acquaintances greeted her heartily, and she rejoiced in being back, but her mind was many levels below, where the Dwarves were probably cold and hungry. She knew Thranduil had kept his promise and would not let them starve, but the smell of the roasting meat was more than she could bear, and she slinked off to the kitchens, pulling Tauriel with her.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Ruby shushed her and grabbed two large baskets, filling them with meat, bread and flasks of water. She dared not give the Dwarves ale, much less wine. "You're not doing what I think you're doing." Tauriel looked at the full baskets on the floor. They ducked under the table as a cook walked past.

"No, I'm not. _We_ are." Ruby pushed one of the baskets into her friends' arms and took the other, swiftly making her way down to the dungeons. Tauriel cursed, but followed.

As they passed the guards, none dared speak against the King's favourite guest or the captain of their guard. Finally arriving in the prison, the Dwarves' groaning reached their ears.

"Why were we fed rabbit food when I can clearly smell meat?" Dwalin was furious.

"Because Thranduil is teasing you all." Ruby turned a corner.

"_Baraz Kunzek_! You're our hero!" they had turned to using her Khuzdul name to spite the Elves, but she merely smiled. Nodding to Tauriel, they started distributing the hot meats and fresh warm bread.

"Who's this?" Balin asked as he stared at the food the Elleth was offering him.

"Be nice. Tauriel's a very old friend." Ruby saw the Elleth smile encouragingly at Balin, who then took the food.

"Ah, in that case, Balin, at your service." He bowed. "Any friend of _Baraz Kunzek_ is our friend." Tauriel looked back at Ruby, sharing a smile between them. Ruby had one portion left, and handed it to Thorin.

"Have your wounds been looked after?" she asked as he dug into his food. He nodded mutely, keeping an eye on the Elleth talking to Kili.

"You trust her?" he asked lowly. Ruby rolled her eyes. She could probably hear them anyway.

"With my life." She nodded. "Kili seems to like her." She grinned. Thorin scoffed. "Just because Thranduil did not aid you against Smaug does not mean every Elf is the same." She murmured. "Can you not accept my friends?"

"I will try, _ghivashel_." Thorin wiped his hands on his trousers and Ruby saw their bindings. "I'm fine." He soothed her. "The healers were helpful. Thank you. You should go. I heard you were not supposed to come down here."

"Indeed, she's not." Legolas stood a level higher than them. His cheeks were clean, his father had probably reprimanded him and sent him off to look for the missing friends.

"Legolas." Ruby looked over to Tauriel, who was still deep in conversation with Kili. "We'll be right up."

"Don't worry." He said coming down the steps. "If father asks, I shall say you retired to your chambers."

"Thank you, _mellon_." She stressed the word. She did not want a fight to start between the two males. Linking her fingers to Thorin's, they pressed their faces closer to the bars and kissed. "I have to go." She said, sadly.

"I know. Be safe. Get us out of here." Thorin nodded and traced her cheek. As he watched Ruby walk over to Kili's cell, Legolas appeared in front of him, but his eyes were trained on Ruby.

"_Mîruin_ loves you." He stated.

"And I her." Thorin nodded. He sensed where this conversation was going.

"I do not understand why she prefers you." He started, turning his sharp eyes to Thorin, sizing him up. "But she is an old friend, and is dear to me. If you hurt one hair on her head, I will hunt you down and skin you alive."

"_Baraz Kunzek_ has many aggressive friends."

"_Mîruin_ has protectors." They battled with words and Ruby's aliases. "She urges to know more of her kin. Do not take that away from her. Let her stay free as she chooses to learn about herself."

"I already promised her my help. Our races are at odds, but I hope that regarding her, we can come to an understanding."

"There will never be an understanding between us as long as she is yours." The Ellon hissed. Thorin merely smiled, and watched the tall blond walk away. "Tauriel, _Mîruin_." He called. Glaring at the Dwarf telling tales of his voyages, he offered his hand to Tauriel. He took it and he hoisted her up, leading her away.

"She likes you." Ruby whispered to him.

"She's beautiful!" Kili wondered aloud. "Ruby, please don't tell uncle."

"He knows already. You two weren't exactly discreet." She pulled the necklace out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Here. Give this to her next time we come down."

"You shouldn't even be down here." He said, but accepted the necklace, studying the silver frame around the emerald. It would go nicely with her hair and bring out her eyes.

"If I can't come, I'll send Tauriel. She's a dear friend." Her tone changed. "So no fooling around with her."

"Yes, ma'am." Kili nodded. Fili snickered nextdoor.

"Don't you laugh at your brother." She wagged her finger at him. "It'll be just the same for you when you find yourself a girl." Fili's hands were held up in a relenting sign. Ruby grasped his bars and whispered. "Do you still have any of your knives?" she had seen the Ellyn plucking his weapons from him.

"A few." He answered. "You taught me well." They shared a smile, and with one last glance at Thorin, she left the dungeons.


	14. Chapter 14

Ruby sat by her window after she changed to her usual clothes and looked at the night sky. She wondered how they might escape, Durin's day was almost upon them. A knock by the door made her look back and call out to the visitor.

"_Mîruin_. We missed you at the feast." Thranduil entered with a tray of food and a goblet of wine. "I bet you haven't eaten."

"I'm not hungry." She mumbled and looked back out the window. "Since when does the King bring food to his guests? Don't you have servants for that?"

"I do, but I also wanted to talk to you." He placed the tray on her table. "And give you this." He held out a book to her. Standing, she walked over and took it from him. "I found it in the unused section of my library. I do not recognize the language, but I have seen you writing it. It may be a clue to you, if you can read it."

"_Maltiid usnutiid do diist._" She read. "'A brief history of the first.' The first what?" she looked up at Thranduil.

"Be sure to let me know." He started back out the door as Legolas walked in.

"_Mîruin_, you door was open, and I brought yo—_adar_." He stopped in his tracks a similar tray in his hands.

"Good night, _ion_. _Mîruin_, I hope you will reconsider my offer. I shall see you in the morning. Enjoy your book." And with that he left. Legolas put the tray next to the other and turned to Ruby, who was leafing through the book in her hands. He stopped in front of her and looked upside down at the book in her hands. A series of small lines littered the pages in what he recognized as the writing she had on some of her parchments, and a small book he suspected was her diary when she stayed here.

"_Mîruin_." He called. He watched as she twitched, snapping her head to look up at him.

"Legolas. I didn't see you come in." She closed the book, but did not put it down.

"I brought you food." He pointed.

"Oh. Thank you. Will you join me?"

"I ate at the feast."

"No you didn't." She narrowed her eyes at him and poked his stomach. "You're too skinny, you have to eat more."

"I am not skinny." He said, but sat across her and pulled one of the trays towards himself nonetheless. As they ate, Legolas studied Ruby as she looked through the book's pages. Sighing, he plucked it from her hands. At her outburst, he pushed the other tray to her. "Eat. Then you can go back to deciphering this gibberish."

"It's not gibberish to me." She hastily started eating, eager to get her book back.

"You've adopted their table manners as well." Legolas scowled at her full cheeks.

"There, finished, give me my book." She pushed her still full plate away and held out her hand. Instead, Legolas picked up a small loaf of bread and placed it on her palm.

"Eat." He said. Ruby rolled her eyes but started eating like a normal person. He smiled. "What is this book about?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. It says 'A brief history of the first' on the cover."

"The first what?"

"No idea. I suppose I won't be sleeping tonight."

"_Mîruin_, you need to rest. You're still recovering."

"I need to know about my own race. If there is a book in a language only I can read, then I'm obviously not the only one."

"Then I'll stay up with you. Tomorrow we can search the library for more."

"You don't need to stay up with me, Legolas, I'll probably me muttering all night long, asking questions aloud in a language you don't understand."

"You could teach me. I already know a word."

"Really?" Ruby raised a glass to her lips.

"_Draaf_." He had to dodge the spray of wine as Ruby spit it out and almost choked on her laughter. "What did I say?"

"You just learned a random word and don't know its meaning?"

"That's the part where you teach me." He wiped the corner of her mouth with his napkin. His fingers lingered a heartbeat longer at her lips, but he forced them away.

"Shit."

"I beg your pardon?" Legolas frowned.

"'_Draaf_' means 'shit'." She giggled. "Great choice for a first word."

"What's your name in...?"

"I don't know what this language is called." She smiled sadly. "But the word 'ruby' doesn't have a translation, at least not a literal one. The jewel is called a 'Dragon eye'."

"And how do you say that?"

"_Dovahmiin_."

"_Dova—dovaminn_?"

"_Do-vah-mi-in_."

"_Dovahmiin_. It sounds fierce." He smiled at her laugh, but then his face fell. "I suppose Thorin is much more proficient in this language than I am."

"He's not interested in it." Ruby looked at the fire. "Or in my powers." Legolas watched as a flame detached itself from the fireplace and formed tiny little limbs, a miniature person walking around on the hearth before it jumped back into the larger flames. "I suppose it's for the best. He said he'd help me dig for answers, but his lack of interest...well..."

"I think you're fascinating." Legolas took her hand. She turned back to him and squeezed his fingers.

"Thank you, _fahdon_."

"What's that?"

"Friend."

The Elf prince tried very hard not to let his disappointment show. He was sure his smile was obviously strained and fake, but he kept it on his face.

"Well then, _fahdon_." He tried out the new word. "You have some reading to do, and I am a very curious _Ellon_." He handed her the book and she took it, standing and walking to sit by her window. Throwing her previously unfinished book to the blond _Ellon_, she settled in her spot and they both submerged themselves in the unread pages.

Legolas had his legs stretched out in front of him, his feet by the fire. His eyes snapped from the book in his hands to the window every time Ruby mumbled aloud in her strange language. She was curled up on a larger cushion on the windowsill, her nose buried in that book. Her deep chestnut eyes were glowing red with enthusiasm, her face a mixture of eagerness and confusion. Her hair was no longer in a braid, she had brushed it out and redone Thorin's small braid behind her ear. The bead rested a bit lower than her breast on her light blue shirt, rising and falling with her breathing. Legolas pried his eyes from the two round mounds and trailed his sight over her slim waist, encased in that ever-present corset-armour of hers. Her supple hips were resting on a cushion, fleshy thighs wrapped in thick worn leather, tucked inside knee high boots, her small feet crossed at the ankles. He made a note to gift her with new boots, hers had definitely seen better days. After a few moments, she blinked and looked up at him.

"You're staring." She said.

"I'm sorry." The _Ellon_ hadn't even realized it. He quickly bent his head down and pretended to read. He heard _Mîruin_ sigh but did not look up again. He had promised he would try to be happy for her. They were very good friends before anything else, but was it so wrong of him to want something more? Apparently so. When his _adar_ had approached him with his plan, Legolas was offended at the idea of a political marriage to his friend. Sure, they had flirted, but it was nothing more than a game to them. Teasing touches had been exchanged, intimate words were spoken, but they had never even kissed. Legolas wondered what her lips would feel like. Shaking his head, he focused on the book in front of him.

What was it that Thorin had that he did not have? They had known each other for centuries, and she had met Thorin not one year past. The Dwarf had a lost status, a lost kingdom, and a lost people. The _Ellyn_ were at peace, despite the spiders in the forest, but they were protected in Thranduil's realm. Legolas had the right to the crown, but it was not something that would come so soon, he still had many centuries of princely comfort. He could offer her luxury, protection and knowledge. Nothing she could find in the wild with dwarves.

Legolas shifted in his seat. He was becoming increasingly annoyed with his thoughts. In the end he just wanted Mîruin to be happy. And if Thorin could keep her happy, then he would accept their relationship, albeit grudgingly. And if the Dwarf so much as looked at her in a wrong way, he would hunt him down and skin him alive.

Ruby closed the book after the last page had been read. Looking over the notes she had taken, she sighed. There was still much to learn, questions filled her head, but now she knew where to find answers. She was not entirely happy with her findings, and she had lost a whole night of sleep. The rays of the sun were peeking over the horizon and into her room.

"Did you finish the book?" the _Ellon_ asked, looking expectantly at the notes she had in her hand. He couldn't decipher the chicken scratch that was her language.

"I did." She looked over her notes. Legolas put the still unread book down and waited for her to continue. "There's a lot of detail, but apparently, there's this...'Alduin', who is also called the World Eater, the Nordic God of Destruction, and the first-born of Akatosh. My first thought was to see if he's still alive and track him down, but he is missing, but may return in the future to fulfil his destiny as the World-Eater. So, I'm not so eager to meet him." She shook her head. "There is no mention of his race, only of wars and battles he started against the other races, which are so many!" she ran her finger down the list. "There are four kinds of humans, Redguard, Breton, Imperial and Nord, some races that resemble animals like the _Khajiit_, who look like cats and the _Argonians_, some kind of lizard-folk. Orcs are also mentioned, though they are called _Orsimer_."

"Is there any mention of Elves?" He asked.

"Yes, actually, there are four, no, five races of Elves." She looked at her notes. "Well, four."

"Which is it?" Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"Well. There are the High Elves, called _Altmer_, the Wood Elves, called _Bosmer_, the Dark Elves, called _Dunmer_ and Snow Elves, called _Falmer_. But..."

"What?"

"There's a mention of _Dwemer_. The race's name is translated as Deep Elves, but as far as I understand, they're Dwarves."

"That seems too complicated. Is that book even talking about Middle Earth?"

"I don't know. If anything, this raised even more questions."

They were interrupted by a guard knocking urgently on the door.

"Lady _Mîruin_? Is Prince Legolas with you?" they rose in alarm. Ruby opened the door to see a commotion outside. Guards were running everywhere, the Dwarves had escaped. They dashed past the guard into the hallway, hastily running to the wine cellar, where the Dwarves had last been seen.

"Where is the keeper of the keys?" Tauriel was asking as they entered the wine cellar. Ruby saw Bilbo fall down a trapdoor they used to send empty barrels back to Lake-Town. The three stood flabbergasted for a moment, then turned, dashing through the hallways to the back entrance, leading to a waterfall. They saw the Dwarves in the empty barrels, floating away. Ruby could not contain a burst of laughter. Legolas glared at her.

"_Holo in ennon_!" he shouted at the guard, who sounded an alarm through a horn. Ruby ripped it from his hand and threw it down the waterfall. Before Legolas could grab her, she sprinted away along the shore of the river after the Dwarves. She cursed lowly as she saw Orcs attacking the gates, and started killing Orcs as soon as she was near enough.

"Kili!" she heard Fili call and looked over to the gate lever, where he was lying with an Orc arrow in his right thigh.

"No." She whispered. A flash of red caught her attention as Tauriel started shooting the Orcs around her adopted nephew. The Orc leader ordered his minions to concentrate the attack on her, but with the help of Ruby, they held their ground long enough to see Legolas coming with a group of guards to their aid. They ran along the shore, Orcs and Elves mingled and fought each other, as the Dwarves struggled with the current. Ruby pulled strong streams of water up from the river to knock down the Orcs who dared come close to the Dwarves. She scowled at Legolas as he balanced his feet on Dwalin's and Dori's heads, but he was at an advantage point to protect them, so she kept quiet, raising a watery wall of protection around him. His arrows left the circle, but the Orcs' couldn't pierce it.

After a while, he jumped to the shore, Orc-surfing on the slippery stones, then jumping across the rivers to the other side, using the Dwarves' heads as stepping stones. Ruby suspected he was doing that on purpose. She saw him quickly dispatch the remaining Orcs, but an especially large one raised a sword behind him. Ruby aimed a knife, but was surprised as an axe was hurled into the Orc. She looked back at Thorin, who was scowling and gasping for air, and sent him a nod of thanks.

"Tauriel, _Dartho! Ú-no hono. __Ho hebo cuin_." Legolas was saying to Tauriel as she held a dagger to an Orc's throat. They watched from a distance as the surviving part of the Orc pack ran after the Dwarves, but the current was too strong and they quickly gained distance. Ruby sprinted after them, but Legolas grabbed her arm.

"Let go." She yanked at her arm, but his grip tightened.

"You're not going after them." He lowered his head to her level, much like his father had done to Thorin.

"Legolas, let go of my arm." Her eyes sparked and a deep red started to take over the familiar chestnuts.

"You're foolish to think you can take on a whole Orc pack by yourself and catch up to those Dwarves against the speed of that current."

"Legolas, you're hurting me." Ruby's voice was very quiet, the deep tone indicating her anger. Legolas straightened up and loosened his grip, but not enough to let her escape him. He dragged her along the _Ellyth_ back to the palace, until her struggling was too much for his patience. He knelt down and put his shoulder to her stomach, hoisting her up and hugging her kicking legs against his chest. He knew she still had access to her knives, but he trusted her not to stab him in the back. Her voice rose, a string of foreign words leaving her mouth. The only one he understood was '_draaf'_ and he was sure none of the others were any kinder.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Maltiid usnutiid do diist. - A brief history of the first._

_draaf - shit_

_fahdon - friend_

_Holo in ennon! - Close the gate!_

_Dartho! Ú-no hono. Ho hebo cuin. - Wait! Not him. Keep him alive._


	15. Chapter 15

Back in the palace, Thranduil had raised an eyebrow at the sight of _Mîruin's_ butt on his son's shoulder, but turned his attention to the Orc being dragged by Tauriel. Legolas deposited _Mîruin_ on one of the steps to the throne, but she quickly rose. She did not try to leave, but paced around them, a scowl on her face, muttering foreign words.

"Such is the nature of evil." Thranduil started as his son took one of the daggers from his back and held it to the Orc's neck, relieving Tauriel from her duty. He snapped his eyes to _Mîruin_ and back, and saw the ginger nod. "Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads. A shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was. So will it always be. In time all foul things come forth."

"You were tracking a company of thirteen Dwarves. Why?" Legolas asked after his _adar_ fell silent.

"Not thirteen, not anymore." The Orc turned his gaze to the _Elleth_ and _Mîruin_, both were standing still at the foot of the throne. "The young one, the blackhead archer, we stuck him with a Morgul shaft. The poison's in his blood, he'll be choking on it soon."

Tauriel felt _Mîruin_ tense, but held her forearm as she made to step towards him.

"Answer the question, filth." She hissed.

"_Shâ hakhtiz khulnai go, golgi_!" the Orc hissed right back.

"I would not antagonize them." Legolas warned with an amused smirk at his hostage as the girls drew their weapons.

"You like killing things, Orc? You like death? Then let me give it to you!" suddenly Tauriel made to strike the Orc with her sword but Thranduil stopped her.

"_Farn_! Tauriel, _ego! Gwao hi_!" he watched _Mîruin_ closely to see if he needed to send her away too, but she stood stock still, her eyes never leaving the Orc. "I do not care about one dead Dwarf." He eyes snapped angrily to him, but he ignored her. "Answer the question, you have nothing to fear. Tell us what you know and I will set you free."

"You had orders to kill them, why? What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?" Legolas asked. Ruby shifted slightly.

"The Dwarf runt will never be King!"

"King? There is no King under the mountain, nor will there ever be. None would dare to enter Erebor Whilst the Dragon lives." He turned to Ruby, but her face was carefully expressionless.

"You know nothing. Your world will burn."

"What are you talking about? Speak!" his father started walking around, and he saw him exchange glances with _Mîruin_.

"Your time has come again. My master serves The One. Do you understand now, Elfling?" the King had his back to him, a tense shiver running along his spine. The small being in front of him looked up at the King, a fire of recognition in her eyes. "Death is upon you. The flames of war are upon you." He started laughing.

Suddenly Thranduil extracted his sword and quickly decapitated him. His eyes never left the red orbs looking back at him. She was a young thing, compared to his own son's short 2000 years. But she was far more intelligent than was good for her, and her excessive reading and thirst for knowledge about her race had given her enough information about Middle Earth to rival Lord Elrond's.

"Why did you do that?" he could hear his son's disgusted expression on his voice, and imagined him blinking the way he did every time he tried to understand something his father did. "You promised to set him free."

"And I did." He explained, turning away from Ruby. "I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders." Thranduil used his foot to stop the headless body from twitching.

"There was more the Orc could tell us." Legolas looked up at his father.

"There was nothing more he could tell _me_." Thranduil tilted his head and walked away, twirling his sword before sheathing it.

"What did he mean by the flames of war?" Legolas insisted.

"It means they intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it." He turned back to look at his heir. He had grown tall, though still not as tall as him. Perhaps in a few hundred years. "I want the watch doubled at our borders, all roads, all rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of. No one enters this Kingdom," he turned his gaze to _Mîruin_. "and no one leaves it." He ignored her red eyes narrowing at him and walked off.

* * *

Ruby followed Tauriel's path through the palace. She found the captain strapping more weapons to herself.

"You're going to follow them." She announced her presence with a smile.

"No, I'm not." She threw a pack of knives and daggers to Ruby who caught it easily. "_We_ are." She repeated her line from last night and they shared a wide grin as Ruby started replenishing her knives.

* * *

"_Holo in ennyn! Tiro i defnin hain na ganed en-Aran_!" Legolas called to the guards at the door.

"_Man os Tauriel a Mîruin_?" their leader called.

"_Man os hîn_?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"_Edevín eb enedhor na gû a megil. __En ú-nandollen_." Legolas resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

* * *

The trail of the company and Orcs was easy to follow. Tauriel heard something behind them and quickly raised her bow, turning to shoot, only to find Legolas behind them pointing his arrow at her.

"_Ingannen le Orch_." She smiled.

"_Cí Orch im, dangen le_." He quipped. As he lowered his bow and took a step closer to them. "Tauriel, _Mîruin_, you cannot hunt thirty Orcs on your own."

"But we're not on our own." The Elleth smiled wider. Ruby still ignored him, looking around, following the trail with her eyes.

"You knew I would come." He accused. Tauriel merely shrugged sheepishly.

"We're wasting time." Ruby turned to Tauriel. Legolas frowned at her dismissal of him.

"The King is angry, Tauriel." He decided two could play that game. "For six hundred years my father has protected you, favoured you. You defied his orders, you betrayed his trust." He ignored Ruby's scoff. "_Dandolo na nin! E gohenatha_."

"_Ú ohenathon. Cí dadwenithon, ú ohenathon im_." She turned and walked over to stand at the edge of the cliff by Ruby. "The King has never let Orc filth roam our lands. Yet he would let this Orc pack cross our borders and kill our prisoners."

"It is not our fight." Legolas tried to reason with her.

"It _is_ our fight. It will not end here. With every victory this evil will grow. If your father has his way, you will do nothing. You will hide within your walls, live your lives away from the light and let darkness descend. Are you not part of this world? Tell me, _fahdon_, when did you let evil become stronger than you?" Ruby finally snapped and turned to him. He had the decency to look sheepish. "I _need_ to help them."

"Then I will come with you." He said and smiled at her. He did not like the Dwarves. He did not like having his two best friends going alone into danger, and he dreaded the reaction his father would have when they returned.

* * *

_Translations:_

_Shâ hakhtiz khulnai go, golgi! - I do not answer to dogs, She-Elf!_

_Farn! Tauriel, ego! Gwao hi! - Enough! Tauriel, leave! Go now!_

_Holo in ennyn! Tiro i defnin hain na ganed en-Aran! - Close the gates! Watch that they are closed by the call of the King._

_Man os Tauriel a Mîruin? - What about Tauriel and Mîruin?_

_Man os hîn? - What about them?_

_Edevín eb enedhor na gû a megil. En ú-nandollen. - They went out before midday with her bow and blade. Still not returned._

_Ingannen le Orch. - I thought you were an Orc._

_Cí Orch im, dangen le. - If I were an Orc, you would be dead._

_Dandolo na nin! E gohenatha. - Come back with me. He will forgive you._

_Ú ohenathon. Cí dadwenithon, ú ohenathon im. - But I will not. If I go back, I will not forgive myself._


	16. Chapter 16

Inside the mountain, Bilbo entered the area where all the treasure had been kept. He stopped by the last doorway and knocked gingerly on the stone.

"Hello?" nothing but silence greeted him. "He's not at home. Not at home. Good. Good, good, good." Making his way down to the treasure, he started looking for the Arkenstone. He had no clue as to what it looked like, except that Balin had told him it was a large white jewel. For what seemed like the thousandth time since Mirkwood, he thought back to Ruby as he looked through the various jewels. Thorin had been even more aggressive and irritable than usual at leaving her behind, but they were certain she was safe. Throwing another stone aside, he winced at his carelessness and shushed the loud clattering noise. "Arkenstone. Arkenstone. A large, white jewel." He looked around at the piles and piles of gold. "Very helpful." He scoffed. He walked through the mountains of treasure and as he picked up a gold cup it released a pile of coins to slide down, revealing a great, closed eye. He quickly hid behind a pillar. After a moment of silence, he tried to walk to the other side, but another movement caught his eye and he stopped. What seemed to be a massive tail twitched over the surface of the gold. He looked at it, them back at the exposed eye. Whimpering slightly at the sheer size difference, he started back down the slippery slope, but the Dragon started to wake. He quickly put on his ring. He saw the giant head of the fire drake rise and sniff at the air. Slowly, scaly lips pulled back and a row of razor sharp teeth became visible, as a deep growl made the air around him vibrate.

"Well, thief..." he took another sniff. "I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your air." He walked around a pillar. "Where are you?" stopping a mere yard away from Bilbo, he repeated. "Where are you?!"

Bilbo's nerves could take no more and he made a run for it through the gold, with Smaug following his movements with his spiked head until Bilbo managed to hide behind a pillar.

"Come, now. Don't be shy." His voice was quiet, almost playful, until he ordered with a bark. "Step into the light." He seemed to know _exactly_ where Bilbo was standing. "Mm." He mused. "There is something about you." He even raised a long, scaly finger, as if in thought, before stepping on. "Something you carry. Something made of gold." He guessed. "But far more...precious." the word echoed in his head, throbbing like the worst migraine he had ever had, only a thousand times worse. He felt himself growing faint, and removed the ring before he passed out, but not before catching a glimpse of a fiery, obviously evil eye.

"There you are," his tone was playful, the slit pupil focusing on him. "thief in the shadows." He growled.

"I did not come to steal from you, oh Smaug, the unaccessibly wealthy." He ignored the growling and kept on with his flattering. "I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence. To see if you really were as great as the old tales say." He watched the pupil dilate, as if in pleasure at his words. "I did not believe them." His last words came out as a squeak as the great Dragon rose and stepped around the pillar where he was pressed against to stand and puff out his chest in pride.

"And do you now?" his voice echoed in the stone halls. As much as Bilbo wanted to crawl in a corner and cry in fear, he had to admit that in a horrible, devastating sort of way, Smaug truly was a beautiful creature.

"Truly." He gasped up at him. "The tales and songs fall utterly short of your enormity, oh Smaug, the stupendous."

"Do you think flattery will keep you alive?" he seemed to chuckle.

"No. No."

"No indeed." He watched as the wyvern once again fell lower on his clawed wings and walked around him. "You seem familiar with my name. But I don't remember smelling your kind before." The scaly face had a surprising range of movement, and seemed to raise an eyebrow as it studied him, head to furry toe. "Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?" he was also very polite. For a Dragon who had almost wiped an entire race in a day, that is.

"I...I come from under the hill." He willed his voice to continue working unfaltered as he finally, _finally_ saw a gleaming white jewel, half hidden in the gold coins.

"Underhill?" Smaug seemed very interested. Maybe because he hadn't had anyone to talk to all these years. Bilbo nodded dumbly, his eyes pulling back to look at the beautiful jewel.

"And under hills and over hills my path has led." He made up a limerick on the spot. Smaug seemed amused, and pulled back his lips to a terrifying smile. "And...and through the air, I am he who walks unseen." He continued as the Dragon kept circling him.

"Impressive, what else do you claim to be?" he really did sound impressed. Smaug brought his face close to Bilbo. He had seen dogs do that in the Shire, as they sniffed and studied smaller animals in the grass, only to trample them later, mistaking them for toys or prey. He could imagine Smaug's butt in the air, his long tail swishing madly in amusement.

"I am...luck...luck wearer, riddle...riddle maker." He tried to ignore the rotten smell coming from the powerful jaw, not an arm's length away from him.

"Lovely titles. Go on." He said after a vigorous sniff.

"Barrel rider." His ideas were coming short.

"Barrels? Now that is interesting." He backed away and held himself with long claws on a pillar. "And what about your little Dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?"

"Dw...Dwarves?" Bilbo forced a confused frown on his face. "No. No, no. No Dwarves here. You've got that all wrong."

"Oh, I don't think so, barrel rider." Bilbo caught a glimpse of a blue tongue between the deadly teeth. "They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside."

"Truly, you are mistaken, oh Smaug, chiefest and greatest of calamities." Bilbo slowly stepped closer to the Arkenstone.

"You have nice manners for a thief and a liar. I know the smell of Dwarves. These halls are infested with it." He put his face back near Bilbo and sniffed deeply, almost nudging the poor Hobbit back against the stone pillar. "I do not know your scent, Underhill, luck wearer, riddle maker, barrel rider. But I can smell your companions. Dwarves, yes, many Dwarves. A Wizard, how quaint. And..." another deep sniff. "Who is the other companion? I know this scent." Bilbo was nearly lifted off his feet as the large nose nudged his chest. He inadvertently placed his hands on the smooth, warm scales to steady himself and mused at how strong they were. His little pigstick wouldn't even be useful for the drake to pick his teeth after he was done with him. His mind snapped to Ruby, and he wondered if the Dragon knew something about her mysterious race. He probably did, the legends said he was older than most races of Middle Earth. "Who else is travelling with you?" he roared in his face, irritation evident in his voice at his failure to remember the familiar smell.

"Sh—she was separated from us." He admitted. If the Dragon knew about the Dwarves, he might as well ask about Ruby. "We do not know what race she is. Perhaps you could gift her with your knowledge?"

"What kind of being does not know its own race?" he mused. "And what makes you think I would gift anyone with anything?" he growled.

"My apologies, o wise, Smaug." Bilbo quickly said. "She is a dear friend, and has been searching for answers her whole life. She speaks a strange language, not even the Elves, or our Wizard know it." Smaug did not answer. He seemed deep in thought, sniffing at Bilbo, until the Hobbit felt his clothes heavy with moisture from the Dragon's lungs. Suddenly, the drake inhaled sharply, widening its eyes and pulling back.

"_Dovah_?" he sounded surprised. "_Nii nis kos_. _Pahdul, aalkos_?"

"Yes, yes, she speaks that language!" Bilbo almost forgot his task and the danger he was in, stepping forward and pointing a finger at Smaug. "I recognize it. Do you know it? What is it called? What race uses it?"

"Strange, for a _Dovah_ to be in the company of Dwarves." He sat on his haunches and looked at Bilbo.

"_Do—Dovah_." He repeated. "What is that?"

"What is her name?" The drake ignored his question.

"She has many aliases. Not unlike the Wizards." He said, proudly at his friend's influence. Smaug nodded in understanding. It seemed he wanted to confirm his suspicions, so Bilbo continued. "The Dwarves call her _Baraz Kunzek_ and the Elves refer to her as _Mîruin_."

"_Dovahmiin_." A deep rumble made the air vibrate.

"Yes, yes, she said that is her name translated to...to..."

"_Dovahzul_." Smaug added helpfully.

"You keep using that word, _Dovah_. What does it mean?"

"It cannot be." Smaug seemed to forget about him. He looked to the distance. "She is but a hatchling, barely a thousand years old." His face took on a pained expression.

"1069 this august, actually." Bilbo remembered.

"What does she look like?" he turned back to Bilbo, who was taking advantage of his distraction and was inching towards the Arkenstone.

"Who? Ruby?"

"Ruby." Smaug's voice formed the word lovingly.

"She—she has long black hair, recently cut in layers due to a Goblin attack." He stepped back at the growl Smaug released. "Fair skin, about this tall." He held up his hand. "Fairly slender, but muscular in a feminine sort of way. Her eyes are chestnut brown, but they glow red when she uses her powers."

"She has powers?" Smaug's eyes seemed to widen in amazement.

"Yes, she can control the elements."

"All of them?" the long neck extended to bring his large head closer to Bilbo.

"Y—yes, though she seems to have problems with the earthen element. She favours fire." He frowned as a different expression crossed Smaug's face. It looked like...pride? "I must ask, on her behalf, do you know anything about her race?"

"Bring her to me." He refused to give Bilbo any more information.

"I—I don't think her husband would be pleased."

"_Husband_? Who is he?"

"One of the Dwarv—"

"WHAT?" Smaug was livid. "I would rather lose this treasure to a salamander than to see a mighty _Dovah_ join in matrimony with a Dwarf! This match is unacceptable! It is the gold, Dwarves are drawn to treasure like flies to dead flesh." He started walking, furious strides made the Arkenstone fly away, Bilbo dashing madly after it. "Did you think I did not know this day would come? That a pack of canting Dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain? Even if an unknowing _Dovah_ is amongst them. The King Under the Mountain is dead. I took his throne, I ate his people like a wolf among sheep. I kill where I wish, when I wish. My armour is iron. No blade can pierce me!" Bilbo had managed to hide under a platform. The Arkenstone was still in his line of sight. "It's Oakenshield. That filthy Dwarvish usurper. He is the one who has claimed _Dovahmiin. _He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, didn't he?"

"No! No, no, no. I don't know what you're talking about." He moved towards the glowing white gem.

"Don't bother denying it. I guessed his foul purpose some time ago. But it matters not. Oakenshield's quest will fail. A darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land." He seemed thrilled. "You are being used, thief in the shadows. You were only ever a means to an end. The coward Oakenshield has weighed the value of your life and found it worth nothing."

"No. No, you're lying." Bilbo knew that wasn't true.

"What did he promise you? A share of the treasure?" claws picked up a bunch of coins and showered it on his hiding place. "As if it was his to give. I will not part with a single coin. Not one piece of it!" Bilbo decided it was now or never. He made a run to grab the Arkenstone, but Smaug moved his body again, which caused Bilbo and the Arkenstone to go flying in the air and landing by a pillar.

"My teeth are swords, my claws are spears. My wings are a hurricane!" As Smaug stomped in front of Bilbo, he noticed the spot in Smaug's chest where Girion had managed to pierce him with his arrow. A scale was missing.

"So it is true. The Black Arrow found its mark."

"What did you say?" the drake hissed in anger.

"I-I was just saying, your reputation precedes you, oh Smaug, the tyrannical. Truly, you have no equal on this earth." Bilbo took a few steps back to stand next to where the Arkenstone now lay, shining brightly.

"I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer. Watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad. But I think not, I think our little game ends here. So tell me, thief. How do you choose to die?" Bilbo watched in amazement as the deep of his chest started to glow. The heat hit his face even before Smaug's words ended. He quickly put on his ring before he became Dragon supper. Running to the right, he watched as a blast of fire spread across the floor, where he used to be.

Bilbo ran up the steps and took off the ring as soon as he deemed it safe that he would be out of sight. The oppressing aura of the dimension he found himself in while wearing the ring seemed worse the closer he stood to Smaug. He managed to return to the entrance, where he ran into Thorin.

"You're alive." He said.

"Not for much longer." Bilbo gasped as he made for the door. Thorin stood in his way.

"Did you find the Arkenstone?"

"The Dragon's coming!"

"The Arkenstone?" Bilbo hesitated at his insistence. "Did you find it?"

"We have to get out." Thorin stopped him from leaving by placing his sword across the doorway.

"Thorin?" he stepped back as Thorin slowly pointed the sword at him, a mad gleam in his eyes. '_no_.' He prayed. '_not gold sickness_.' "Thorin! I have information about Ruby's heritage, her race, her language! Smaug told me, we have to get out, he wants her." Thorin kept his sword pointed at Bilbo looking at him threateningly. He did not even twitch at the mention of his One.

What he did notice, was Bilbo's eyes flicking to something behind him. He turned to see Smaug appearing from behind pillars. He sniffed at the air.

"You." He growled. "You are the one who _dares_ touch Ruby?" Thorin stood flabbergasted at the drake's words, and barely felt strengthened as the rest of the company filed in to stand by them. Smaug stomped towards them. Their eyes almost fell out of their sockets as they recognized, but did not understand the words that fell from the beast's jaws. "_Hi yin piraan Dovah ol kiim, hi gaas dilfahliil_? You will burn!"

* * *

_Translations:_

_dovah - dragon_

_Nii nis kos. Pahdul, aalkos? - It cannot be. A babe, perhaps?_

_Dovahzul - dragon voice_

_Hi yin piraan dovah ol kiim, hi gaas dilfahliil? - You dare claim a dragon as a wife, you filthy dwarf?_


	17. Chapter 17

They heard the fight before they could see it. Ruby dropped from a roof just as Bofur was being thrown back by an Orc, something leafy and green falling from his hands. The Orc raised his sword over the scrambling Dwarf, but she hesitated to shoot a fireball at him.

"Legolas!" she called. An arrow whizzed past her ear and hit its mark. "Get to the house!" Tauriel was already inside, fighting off Orcs, and Legolas dropped in through a hole in the roof. Ruby ran to Bofur and pulled him up. He was still dazed, but managed a quick smile at her. They fought their way up the steps. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

"It's just me, Balin, Oin, Fili and Kili."

"Where are the others?"

"They entered the mountain. Or at least I hope they made it."

A low curse was his response. They arrived at the cabin just as the last Orc was sent down over the balcony railing by Legolas. The Orc landed on a boat, launching another up in the air, an easy target to the Elf's waiting blades.

"You killed them all." A young boy wondered aloud.

"There are others. Tauriel, _Mîruin_, come." He answered gruffly.

The two females hesitated, watching Kili lie on the floor moaning in pain.

"We're losing him!" Oin exclaimed.

"Tauriel. _Mîruin_." Legolas called one last time with an uncaring look towards Kili and left. An angry huff escaped Ruby's lips as her eyes flashed red, but she turned to Kili as the other three Dwarves were hoisting him on the table. Tauriel spotted the leaves on Bofur's hand.

"_Athelas_." She took it from Bofur. "_Athelas_." Her mind was racing. At a nod from Ruby, she swiftly walked to the small kitchen, preparing the medicine.

"What are you doing?" Bofur went after her.

"I'm going to save him." She sent a weak smile towards Ruby, who was brushing sweaty strands away from Kili's face. He was thrashing and screaming.

"Hold him down." The _Elleth_ ordered. But a delirious Dwarf was not easy to contain. After a moment, Ruby slapped his cheek.

"Stop." She said loudly and clearly, trying to get through his haze. He didn't stop immediately, but as he processed hearing Ruby's voice, the other Dwarves were able to hold him down enough for Tauriel to start chanting in elvish. "I need to get to Thorin." Ruby looked over Kili's head to Fili.

"You're leaving us?" he asked, eyebrows turned up.

"There's nothing I can do here. Tauriel is an experienced healer, I trust her." She locked gazes for a moment with the Elf and looked back at Fili. After a moment, he nodded. Ruby pressed a kiss to both their foreheads, and with a last glance to her _mellon_, she dashed out the door.

What seemed like hours, but were only minutes passed, and Kili finally regained control of his mind. He was still in a lot of pain, and his leg felt like it was pressed between two boulders, but a vision above him soothed him.

"Tauriel."

"Lie still." She said with a pained smile.

"You cannot be her." Kili's tongue was heavy in his mouth, slurring his words. "She is far away. Sh—she is far, far away from me. She walks in starlight in another world. It was just a dream." His hand lifted with much effort and touched her outstretched fingers. He pushed something cold into her hand. As she looked at it, she recognized the silver necklace she had seen so many times in Ruby's jewellery box, but had never seen her wear it. The emerald shone prettily and she smiled at the meaning of the gift. "Do you think she could've loved me?" he caught her by surprise with his pain and drug induced question. He watched as her forest-green eyes turned ho him, her pointy nose a sharp contrast to her plump rosy lips, parted in surprise. If she answered him, he did not know, for he fell into a deep sleep, filled with the smell of violets and visions of starlight.

* * *

Ruby sprinted through the town, listening for any signs of battle and following the trail of dead Orcs. She found Legolas sparring violently with an oversized Orc, who had a firm grip of Ocrist. The blond Elf was pulling and tugging at it, to no avail. Both males locked gazes for a moment before the Elf was thrown like a ragdoll to a wall, and then another. As a large foot came down on his chest as he was sitting up, Legolas grabbed it with a grimace. Ruby took that moment to jump from the crate she was perching on to land both feet on the Orc's chest. Not that her tiny body would have made much difference, but Legolas took advantage of the enemy's surprise and launched him to the opposite wall.

In the momentum, the Orc managed to grab Ruby's thigh, just above the knee, and slammed her powerfully to the floor, where she lay motionless. Legolas growled and punched the foul being in the chin, grabbing the scruff of its neck and slamming its forehead to the nearest pillar.

"Do. Not. Ever. Touch. Her." He said with each dull thud of skull to wood. Punches were thrown by both males, until the Orc wrapped his arms around Legolas from behind and started squeezing. His vision blurred and a high pitched squeak he would adamantly deny having left him woke a dizzy Ruby up. She raised a hand and it was all the Elf could do to turn his head as a poorly aimed fireball threw the Orc away from him. Legolas swore she had singed the tip of his ear. They were both so stunned, they failed to notice the other two Orcs sneaking up on them. In the flurry of the battle, the larger one got away.

When the two newest Orcs lay dead, Legolas ran to grab Ocrist, and Ruby hastily resheathed her daggers. Legolas tumbled against a pillar and blinked the unnatural swirls and spots out of his vision. Ruby was tripping on thin air as she walked to him. They held each other upright until their minds began to sharpen again. They realized the position they were in. Ruby was resting her head on Legolas' chest, her arms around his waist. He had wrapped her shoulders in a firm embrace, resting his sore cheek on the top of her head. They stepped away from each other and checked themselves for injuries, Ruby's eyes snapping to Legolas' nose. He lifted a hand and wiped his face, staring at the blood. Growling, he pulled Ruby's wrist after him and jumped on a white horse, Ruby sitting behind him on the saddle. They chased after the Orc leader across the bridge leading to the lonely mountain.

* * *

"You think you can deceive me, barrel rider?" Smaug was almost running Bilbo down at the Gallery of the Kings. "You have come from Lake-town. This is some sordid scheme hatched between these filthy Dwarves and those miserable trading lakemen. Those snivelling cowards with their long bows and black arrows. Perhaps it is time I paid them a visit."

"Oh no!" he watched Smaug leave. "This isn't their fault! Wait! You cannot go to Lake-town!" he wiggled out from underneath the tapestry he was hiding under and ran towards the drake.

"You care about them, do you? Good." He sneered. "Then you can watch them die!"

"Ruby's supposed to be following us! Maybe she's in Laketown!" Bilbo desperately hoped that Smaug's curiosity towards her was fondness. The calamity merely snorted, a puff of smoke rising from its nostrils.

"Then she can finally make the right choice and leave the filthy company of Dwarves and other lesser creatures."

"Here! You witless worm!" Thorin growled from a tall pile of rocks formed into a column.

"You." Slowly, the Dragon turned his long neck.

"I am taking back what you stole."

"You will take nothing from me, Dwarf." Smaug started stomping towards Thorin. "I laid low your warriors of old. I instil terror in the hearts of men. I am King Under the Mountain."

"This is not your Kingdom. These are Dwarf lands. This is Dwarf gold. And we will have our revenge." Thorin let out an order in Khuzdul and the Dwarves pulled apart the large column of stones to reveal a giant gold statue of Thorin's ancestor, Thror. Smaug gazed enchanted at the gold when the still hot metal liquid fell apart taking Smaug down and covering him beneath the molten richness.

For a moment, all was quiet.

A golden wing sprouted from the shiny sea, followed by a very angry fire drake.

"Ah, revenge! Revenge! I will show you revenge!"

Smaug burst out of the mountain and flapped his wings, ridding himself of the heavy metal. He twirled in the air, shooting upwards, then plummeting lower until he spread his wings wide and glided towards Lake-town.

"I am fire. I am...death!"


	18. Author's Note

Greetings, dear readers!

I have now finished reviewing this story, and am still waiting for the third movie to come out so I can use its script. Those of you who reviewed (_Velaena Velaryon, dragonegyptionblue, Always-Be-Batman, MidnightTales357, BlackHreat, luckyfourleafcloverlady, Dhalmi93, Kassandra85, Liv, SerenCarreg, watergoddesskasey_), thank you so much! Your words give me more enthusiasm to keep on with this story.

Please give me feedback on how you like the new version of this story. I also accept suggestions for future chapters, such as: How will Thorin and the Company react to Ruby's true heritage? What should be the final outcome of the Battle of Five Armies? I had asked you if you wanted a Lord of the Rings sequel, and TA-DA! It is in progress! No I will not post it now. I have read the books, so I know how the story is supposed to go (Im still mad at you, Tolkien!), and I am now in the middle of the script for The Fellowship of the Ring. Also, The Hobbit and LotR are set 77 years apart. Would you like a separate story, a collection of short chapters (chronicles, if you will) about Ruby's life since the end of the Hobbit to the beginning of LotR? Or should I just explain things in the form of flashbacks? Also, what would you like to read in the LotR sequel? Any requests?

Reviews are Love!


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